ktlight
5th August 2011, 07:23
FYI:
The last thing Benjamin Netanyahu could have imagined was the spread of protest tents from Cairo's Liberation Square to Tel Aviv and al-Quds and other cities with Jewish populations. People seek social security - the elite had better be concerned about the trampling of the middle class in Israel.
According to government sources, the demonstrations over the past several days in Israel are the largest of their kind since the expansion of Israel in 1967. Criticisms of Netanyahu's economic policies have now reached government offices: resignations are frequent in protest of 'the premier's illogical and non-strategic policies.' Netanyahu has tasked a committee to hold talks with those staging sit-ins - a move Israeli newspapers deem hopeless.
The protests are not just about spiraling property prices or off-the-chart food costs. Tel Aviv is confident that the protests will not edge anywhere near politics; the sit-in people will not ask for regime change as the Zionism ideology still supersedes everything else.
Despite the fact that different governments in Israel have encouraged people to settle in West Bank towns and the lands occupied in 1967, the increase in home prices in major cities has discouraged people to even attempt to apply for the fiscal incentives for home purchase. This will clearly have ramifications down the road for Israeli politics and its ownership strategies of the occupied lands.
In order to maintain its presence in such areas, every government has been forced to draw up large budgets for the deployment of troops in towns and checkpoints. The point is now being reached where the number of police officers and army soldiers protecting the settlers is greater than the number of settlers. Budgeting sufficient security means that social programs must be scrapped.
Vice Premier Silvan Shalom says there is a need for the revision of economic priorities. He maintains that a part of security budgets should go to education and welfare and that “it's not reasonable for the security ministry to request //four times for a budget increase after the ratification of the budget plan.'
The daily economic paper The Marker has also shown that despite what is announced by the ministries of security and finance, the security budget has increased and continues upward, by an annual sum of 18 billion dollars, half of which goes to paying salaries, overtime and retirement. Official censorship prevents the declaration of Israel's security or military budgets.
The daily Yedioth Ahronoth says the real crisis in Israel is not the price of cheese or the Palestinians' initiative for UN recognition or the US economic crisis. 'Our crisis is not one of political, social, economic or security. It's a crisis in leadership.'
However, the word on the street is that the government's plan to counter domestic economic woes has only led to the poverty of the middle class and the affluence of a few. Until recently, the premier and minister of finance boasted about economic growth and low unemployment and rising exports, and described their plans as economic miracles in comparison to crisis-hit Europe. If this is the case, why is there a crisis? why are people protesting?
Some in Israel believe that the increase in production does not match a viable social policy. Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) statistics reveal that Israel lies at the bottom of the heap of countries with very few social services. A few rich dominate the capitalistic economy. In terms of inequality, Israel ranks the fifth amongst the 34-member organization.
Nehemia Shtrasler, Israeli economic expert, believes that Netanyahu is struggling hard to find a solution to the economic crisis. Shtrasler says that Netanyahu may manage to lower the price of food and cut some living costs. However, a reduction of taxes and an increase in wages puts pressure on the budget and entails the disapproval of merchants and business owners. But the problem is even harder in terms of politics. The protests mainly arise from the middle class that constitutes Likud's and other moderate parties' key base. This class's [interests] run counter to those of the cartel owners and economic monopolizers' who are Netanyahu's main sponsors.
Some in Israel attribute the protests to the leftists and believe that the public supports the rightists in general, both in economic and political affairs. However, the increase in home and food prices does not recognize right or left.
Protests of social inequalities in Israel could lead to a change in the political map; the government may have to cut the budget for settlers - meaning an economic impact on domestic politics of Israel.
source
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/191948.html
The last thing Benjamin Netanyahu could have imagined was the spread of protest tents from Cairo's Liberation Square to Tel Aviv and al-Quds and other cities with Jewish populations. People seek social security - the elite had better be concerned about the trampling of the middle class in Israel.
According to government sources, the demonstrations over the past several days in Israel are the largest of their kind since the expansion of Israel in 1967. Criticisms of Netanyahu's economic policies have now reached government offices: resignations are frequent in protest of 'the premier's illogical and non-strategic policies.' Netanyahu has tasked a committee to hold talks with those staging sit-ins - a move Israeli newspapers deem hopeless.
The protests are not just about spiraling property prices or off-the-chart food costs. Tel Aviv is confident that the protests will not edge anywhere near politics; the sit-in people will not ask for regime change as the Zionism ideology still supersedes everything else.
Despite the fact that different governments in Israel have encouraged people to settle in West Bank towns and the lands occupied in 1967, the increase in home prices in major cities has discouraged people to even attempt to apply for the fiscal incentives for home purchase. This will clearly have ramifications down the road for Israeli politics and its ownership strategies of the occupied lands.
In order to maintain its presence in such areas, every government has been forced to draw up large budgets for the deployment of troops in towns and checkpoints. The point is now being reached where the number of police officers and army soldiers protecting the settlers is greater than the number of settlers. Budgeting sufficient security means that social programs must be scrapped.
Vice Premier Silvan Shalom says there is a need for the revision of economic priorities. He maintains that a part of security budgets should go to education and welfare and that “it's not reasonable for the security ministry to request //four times for a budget increase after the ratification of the budget plan.'
The daily economic paper The Marker has also shown that despite what is announced by the ministries of security and finance, the security budget has increased and continues upward, by an annual sum of 18 billion dollars, half of which goes to paying salaries, overtime and retirement. Official censorship prevents the declaration of Israel's security or military budgets.
The daily Yedioth Ahronoth says the real crisis in Israel is not the price of cheese or the Palestinians' initiative for UN recognition or the US economic crisis. 'Our crisis is not one of political, social, economic or security. It's a crisis in leadership.'
However, the word on the street is that the government's plan to counter domestic economic woes has only led to the poverty of the middle class and the affluence of a few. Until recently, the premier and minister of finance boasted about economic growth and low unemployment and rising exports, and described their plans as economic miracles in comparison to crisis-hit Europe. If this is the case, why is there a crisis? why are people protesting?
Some in Israel believe that the increase in production does not match a viable social policy. Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) statistics reveal that Israel lies at the bottom of the heap of countries with very few social services. A few rich dominate the capitalistic economy. In terms of inequality, Israel ranks the fifth amongst the 34-member organization.
Nehemia Shtrasler, Israeli economic expert, believes that Netanyahu is struggling hard to find a solution to the economic crisis. Shtrasler says that Netanyahu may manage to lower the price of food and cut some living costs. However, a reduction of taxes and an increase in wages puts pressure on the budget and entails the disapproval of merchants and business owners. But the problem is even harder in terms of politics. The protests mainly arise from the middle class that constitutes Likud's and other moderate parties' key base. This class's [interests] run counter to those of the cartel owners and economic monopolizers' who are Netanyahu's main sponsors.
Some in Israel attribute the protests to the leftists and believe that the public supports the rightists in general, both in economic and political affairs. However, the increase in home and food prices does not recognize right or left.
Protests of social inequalities in Israel could lead to a change in the political map; the government may have to cut the budget for settlers - meaning an economic impact on domestic politics of Israel.
source
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/191948.html