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Subscribe to RSSJohn Ray, NBC News writes:
So, we've all seen and heard plenty of the Arab spring, stretching now into a bloody summer in Syria and Libya.
But maybe even more surprising is the sudden emergence of what inevitably will be called the Israeli awakening.
Nadav Neuhaus
Israeli Gilad Peled participates in a demonstration for socioeconomic change in Tel Aviv on Saturday, July 30. Peled is working two jobs and his wife just lost her job. They have a young girl and they can't pay all of their bills each month. Peled says he is fed up that politicians have forgotten who elected them to parliament and he says it's about time that they start working for the people and not the other way around.
Out of almost nowhere, a grassroots campaign has sprung up to challenge the nation's leaders.
What's more; it has nothing to do with the peace process, with Palestinians or West Bank settlements.
In fact, it's even bringing Arabs and Jews together. They share a common enemy. The soaring cost of living.
On Saturday, organizers are promising the 'mother or all demonstrations' to surpass the 150,000 strong protest that took to the streets last week.
That’s a remarkable figure in a country of just 7 million.
Nadav Neuhaus
Two weeks into Israel's housing protest, demonstrations are sweeping the country. More than 150,000 people took part in protests nationwide calling for socioeconomic change and demanding social justice.
Dairy farmers, army reservists, taxi drivers, even parents planning a "stroller protest" - all have played a part in demonstrations so far.
They have a long list of demands; action on rising rent, fuel, food and power costs. Tax breaks for the less well off; free schooling and changes to health system.
Israel is a heavily taxed nation; people are asking what they get for their money.
Part of the answer is the huge cost of security, a fact not lost on anyone.
"The sense here that we're living in a war zone, traumatized by terror - it's like we're not allowed to talk about 'small' issues, day-to-day stuff," one of the organizers, Stav Shaffir, a 26-year-old masters student, told the Guardian newspaper.
"But security also means education, health, housing. We don't want to be controlled by fear."
With opinion polls showing 90 percent public support the protests, Israelis seem to have found something to agree on.
Nadav Neuhaus
A protester uses a laptop In Tel Aviv's weeks-old tent encampment.
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This is VERY interesting. So Israel also has its own protests. Might be interesting to see where they lead.
One thing I don't believe you'll be seeing, army units firing on civilians.
Unless of course they are Arabs. We've all seen how they treat the Palestinians..
20% of the Israeli population are Arab citizens and unlike Jewish Israeli citizens, they are exempt from conscription in the military, while a few volunteer. Of course, there have always been Jewish peoples in the Arab world from the beginning of the religion. The Palestinians in East Jerusalem were offered citizenship in Israel and rejected it.
In describing the protest in the Middle East, the Western journalist have coined clever phrases, "Arab Spring" or "Israeli Awakening" as if people of the region have been asleep or is in the process of resurrection from the dead. These catchy-snazzy phrases also give the notion that Westerns are more politically advanced than the Middle Easterners.
Instead of resorting to titillating clever phrases, Western journalist should acknowledge these social unrest are the natural response to the global economical depression ignited by American financial meltdown.
As the only sovereign with a reserve currency America is able to export much of its economic woes to the rest of the world. The power to the wholesale export its economic misery to the world is reserved only to the holder of the world’s reserve currency: USA. It is a tool not available to any nation with a subordinate currency. Since the 2007 financial meltdown, America unleashed its inflationary monetary policy upon the world’s hapless nations.
Like a huge tsunami crossing the oceans, the inflation forces struck the Middle East shaking loose the once stable social strata. In the Middle East and North Africa, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria, the Sinai, and Israel have sustained much of inflationary forces gushing from across the Atlantic. In Europe, the Euro is under stress as the PIIGS default. Across the Pacific, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and even to some extent Japan are suffering from the inflation tsunami created from USA. China, with its foreign trade surplus, has been able to weather the repeated crushing waves of inflation --- for now.
As the rest of world constructs defensive measure against the American inflationary tsunami, much of the destructive forces will be deflected back to its source. When that happens, will the Western media have the courage to coin the next clever-snazzy phrases such as "American Spring" or ‘American Awakening" ?
@Jennj - The UN partition plan of 1947 did not recognized East Jerusalem as part of Israel, so it makes sense for Palestinians to reject Israel 'offer'. Israel is only interested in the 'Greater Israel' and will grab as much land as they can for their own.
Let me be clear that I have nothing against the anyone's belief... I am just not to fond of certain governments or their policies.
Anonymous177, Bullhockey! In 1948, the Arab nations tried to crush Israel on the eve of its birth, and, in the words of the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem (Arafat's uncle) to "drive the Jews into the sea". Before the 1967 War, Jewish holy places and cemetaries were routinely trashed by the Arabs (including the Jordanians using headstones to pave streets), and Jews were denied access. To portary Israel as a "land-grabber" is ridiculous to anyone who has actual knoweldge of historical events. If even one iota of the aspersions cast upon Israel were true, it would not have surrendered GAza to the terroists in the forlorn hope of peace, and would demolish and remove the "Dome of the Rock" Mosque from Israel's holiest site: That of Solomon's temple
Nice fantasy world you got there, Warren.
Really, Byron? And which part according to you is "fantasy"? Please elucidate.
And the tidal wave of armchair would be economists fill the topic with their politicos centric "My Team" vs. "Your Team".
And what is at the heart of the disagreement? The roll of government. America was founded with the principle of a republic with limited government.
Which now collides head on with an imported European style social government ethos. Which is not surprising really, as it is very popular with politicians to spend other peoples money and be liked for it. Any politician making the hard choices will become unpopular, and replaced.
It is like children allowed to pick parents. They will likely settle on ones that would do a terrible job of actually raising them to compete in the real world.
This is now what DC is becoming.
DC
What'd I say? I was making an observation. Look at Libya, Egypt, and Syria. All 3 had milirary units firing on protestors. All I was implying was that you probably won't see Israel follow suit. No need to get upset. Sorry you misunderstood.
Yes, they have their own protests, and the government is not shooting them down like dogs! I would also like to point out that these protests included Jews AND Arab citizens.
seems like israel has found a new way to ask for increase in american aid. would 6 bils a year be ok? what the heck, we can manage another downgrade of our rating, can't we?
well george-2353363, i would agree with you on this...it looks like the ordinary americans should work double hard to increase the aid (6 bils a year would be just nice)
I presume that you feel the same way about the portion of the G-8 Billions of Dollars which the Obama Administration has pledged to help the new Muslim-Brotherhood-backed uprisings in Egypt and elsewhere?
Perhaps Americans will ask what they are getting for their money, some day. At this time it doesn't seem like they're getting much. A leadership that has driven the country to the poor house and sent our wealth overseas. Totally irresponsible.
Bush's 2 unfunded wars and intentional deregulation of Wall Street started it all!
Amazing .. still blaming Bush .. can a dimocretin even spell personal responsiblity
No one is personally responsible for the American economy.
No, not even President Bush.
It's every politician that has held power the last 20 + years that has brought us to this point. Don't let partisan bull@!$%# blind you.
The reason Bush keeps coming up is that we are suffering the consequences of his policies, which keeps resurecting in the conservative Tea Party and influences President Obama when he seeks to find the center. Progressives wouldn't care about Bush if we didn't have to live with the consequences of his policies and find ourselves keeping them going.
thank you for you thoughtful statement....very well said....
Of course they'll use partisan ship to blind the voters while both enforcing the same failed policies. Why wouldn't they? It's work. And what works even more is the cries of "The Tea Party is coming. The Tea Party is coming." It's the political mainstreams new boogie man. They see that alternatives can arise and they're afraid of their future. And remember while these politics-as-usual shills run around screaming their heads off that "The Tea Party" hardly has a hand on anything at this point but they'll blame them for a crisis that has been on going since the 1950s. Just keep that in mind, keep your eye on what the other hand is doing while they divert your attention to the new bad guy.
Oh, and keep in mind that while we call them "failed policies" that they haven't failed everyone. Again, keep your eye on the other hand and see where that money is going. These were fantastic policies for those who've raped the working class for decades. Any back pressure on their flow of wealth will be met with fear, misinformation and outright lies.
BACHMANN-RUBIO-2012
@Scott Zike-
Yes, but apparently, you can't.
If only American young people had the same guts.
They do! You just haven't seen it yet. The explosion of the fed up is about to begin. Our politicians have become overgrown kindergartners, not knowing how to share or get along. It's time they get put in the corner, then no crackers and milk for them! Word travels fast, and when the time comes, it will come like nothing anyone has ever seen. The word is traveling back and forth right now. You see a little here, and other places. The time will become ripe! The wars and army games must all come to an end. There's really no need to starve, but once the starvation and cold homes really come around, it will happen! The thought process has started, and the sleeping are waking up.
No more American Blood for Israel! Give Palestine back to the Palestinians! The war is over,and the Jews can go home now.@Javadanny we are waking up,there will be blood.I don't believe the National Guard will fire on Americans like they did so long ago,I know many people in the Guard,and they have already talked about these things,they aren't gonna go along,not most of them.We working class are angry,well armed,and can Google the Koch brothers' addresses.Our government is now controlled by traitors who will screw all of us while in office because they have 7 figure jobs waiting for them at Koch brothers when they get out of office.Wait until the Republicans screw the NRA.It's not in the rich folks' best interest for us to be so heavily armed,and the next step will be to register our firearms,then make it illegal to own them,so all the registered owners have to turn them in or face jail.Impossible? It is exactly what they did in Australia,this even included antique long arms passed from father to son,ect.It's becoming time for the "American Awakening".
I believe that sooner or later good, moral, loving and rational people come to the realization of what is just and they, sooner or later, react to those feelings in a positive way for the common good. At least that is what I choose to believe!
I hope you are right! Your belief in humankind is much more generous than mine.
Let them get their AID from their Neighbors.
First steal their land, now demand more ransom.
wtf are you talking about? 1. Israel didn't do anything to get their land that every other nation in the world hasn't done, INCLUDING YOUR OWN. Hypocrite. 2. the people are not asking for more money from anyone, only that the government be more responsible with what it has and spread the money to something other than security and the religious lobby. Become educated before you go on your antiIsrael rants. Leslie In Israel
Uh, Leslie, you are the one who is seriously short on facts. You need to go study a little unbiased history and check your mouth before such silliness comes out. Israel DID do a lot more than most countries do: they waged a campaign of hate and religious propaganda, then, following the horrors of WWII, they bullied and cajoled the United States into giving them back land they hadn't been in for a loooooooooong time. They stole land from the beginning, and made it impossible for most Arabs to keep their land and live in peace. They are occupiers and prison guards. A little unrest in the streets will do them good.
weren't these palestinains castoffs from surrounding arab neighbors?
Since 1948 the year that Israel was created by the UN, the Arab nations have driven 700,000 Jews that lived in those lands for hundreds of years.
Most of the land in Israel is owned by the state.
Most of the private land in Israel is owned by Arabs. Arabs sometimes sell their land to Jews for millions of dollars. The Palestinian Authority has a law that calls for the death penalty against any arab who will sell his land to a Jew.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/143571
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/131090
Theft Ohh that makes all that spilt blood almost forgivable. 60 + years of war for theft...here is to the next 60 + years of war.
PS there is plenty of more arab lands to steal, and the price is cheap, just a few of your kids.
And PS hypocrite is for those who guess they know what they are talking about.
I am ready for an American Awakening. We need one. You can cut the tension, anger, disillusionment with a knife in this country. I just hope We the People will seek peaceful means to voice our frustrations. I hope the apathy and complacency by some doesn't quickly morph into violence and destruction when the masses finally wake up. And they need to wake up. There is a building concentration of power and wealth for a select few in this country at the expense of the rest of us. Raise your voices! Fight the power!
It's always something different here though. Everyone always disagree with someone about something. "Oh you wanna legalize pot too? that's cool!...oh wait....you support abortion? Get away from me then."
As long as people focus on the small stuff, we'll never be able to come together and take care of real issues troubling this country.
the u.s.a. is quickly becoming a fascist country. corporations are "people" now. everything is for the corporations and they are all overseas with deferred taxes. not cool
People of the USA should be doing the same thing after the last few weeks in Washington. What a disgusting display of partisan hackery we witnessed.
how about tent cities not only on Capital Hill but block all access so our idiots in congress can not get there. more can be accomplished with no congress then with the present congress.
The problem is not politicians or the systems, the problem is greedy corporations with astronomical profits and astronomical pay for their executives. People are making the same on average as they did 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 years ago. Wages have not gone up and yet there is not one good which the price has not gone up on. Gas used to be a dollar. A loaf of bread used to be $1. A gallon of milk used to be a $1.
I'm sorry to have to ask the obvious question here but when will our American spring be? We need major changes here and it will not come from the Democrats or Republicans. Freedom has been trampled. Reasonable living conditions have been trampled. People get molested by traitor Americans at the airport. People can't afford to see a doctor. The banks get bailed out no matter how bad they do, some Americans lose their homes even when they own them and the government does nothing.
I agree with the people of the world, our system needs a little more "for the people" too.
Banks, wall street and big corporations run America. They own our government and they are destroying our country. We need 10 million in the streets with specific demands and good leadership. We nedd basic and big change. There are many obvious things that should be changed but ther are two large ones that would make a giant difference.
We should force our public owned corporations to pay our minimum wages wherever they go. This would bring back jobs and show a little respect for workers. When the CEO of Disney made 600 million in salary and God knows what in bonuses he had children working in Haiti for 12 cents an hour. This is cold blooded evil and a disgrace to America.
Our 4 biggest banks have 8 trillion in assets and have been getting billions in 0% loans to play the market. This is insane unless you are a big banker or a wall street billionaire.
All government guaranteed loans should be made directly for a small interest. This would cut student and home buyers notes by half or more and leave trillions in the hands of our people instead of thieving banks. Why should anyone pay a bank 600k for a 200k house when the tax payer backs the loan? We should demand the elimination of the federal reserve and set up a banking system to serve instead of rape the people.
These two things alone would do wonders for America. I don't think we will get major change without pressure from millions of committed and fed up people.
Where is Gaza? Where is the West Bank? How have the Palestinians been doing?
They are the Israel's neighbors. Hope they are all getting along; please do not fight for the "line".
Drill Baby Drill
Only useful if you're a dentist.
Bush and the republicans are the ones responsible for the economic chaos we have. It's no coincidence that Bill Clinton rescued the country from those traitors once and Obama is having to do this again because they outsource our jobs and send the country to war. These anti government people we have in the US are the ones who preach against the US people like Palin and other secessionists who need to be brought down and interrogated as terrorists who only work for the rich. People become rich in the US because they cheat on taxes usually not because of hard work. If hard work determined your riches, than the guys that fix roofs in 110 degree heat should be the richest but that is never the case. It's a failed economic system.
What we are witnessing here, and around the world, is the evolution of consciousness... This is what, in Truth, the Mayan calendar is all about, as well as the teachings of numerous indigenuous cultures around the world are about in these times. We in the West have lost touch with our higher selves, which is demonstrative of Washington, our media, and the simple negativity/opposition expressed in these posts.
As these next few years progress, some of us will choose to continue to wake-up to the "energetics" of the Truth and Unity. While others will choose to remain stuck and attached to their egoist/shadow agendas which is the source of fear, wars, anger, hatred, greed, opposition, etc. The only question is, what will "you" choose?
"Ack"--That's exactly what I said when I read this. "ACK!" 'Higher selves'? What exactly is a higher self? 'Evolution of consciousness' 'Energetics of the Truth and Unity' 'Egoist/shadow agendas' I see words here, but they are empty of meaning, devoid of sense. You got some 'splainin' to do.
I think he is saying we are living like morally and spiritually bankrupt people and instead of so much greed and exploitation we might try a little more cooperation. We no better than many of the usurious and unwise thing we do and should go with our higher thoughts. If this is what he is saying I agree totally.
I totally agree with DanThe Man of Vegas: We need our American spring. Enough is enough! America is not created only for wealthy parasites.
sadly Kiril it was the rich that backed the american revolution because taxes imposed by britian were cutting their bottom line. less than 6% of colonists fought in the revolution. but the leaders were the rich.
@ THE TROLL.....FINALLY THE TRUTH SURFACES
That is why the RICH in America will always have their way. These United States were founded by the Rich for the Rich.
That is how all Governments functions around the World. This protest should have been EXPECTED!
The Declaration of Independence was signed by ONLY 56 people, so who are "WE THE PEOPLE REALLY?"
I can see the same "awakening" coming to America as we move to two separate and distinct societies comprising of the haves and the have not. Once the middle class is completely eliminated by the Bagger/Repubs
My suggestion is everyone stop reading and watching the nonsense in the news journals and television and turn instead to read Escape From Freedom by Eric From. If I understand this writer correctly, each of us has surrendered our sense of responsibility to others. This is not after determined attempts to correct injustices but instead simply a loss by default, the kind of loss where a lack of courage, poise, character and determination is noticeably absent in so many. From's argument is documented from the evidence of Germany's social experience of the thirties.
it's always easier to let someone else do the legwork. and we only have OURSELVES to blame.
Hey! The REAL Palestinians ARE home. They are the JEWISH People and their home is Israel. Remember?? The Land of the Jews?? Mentioned in Ancient ROMAN texts LOOOONG before the 'new' so-called Palestinian Moslems even existed! If you recall, the Romans NEVER actually defeated the Jewish paople. Sure, the Jewish people were denied their homeland and were kept out under pain of death, for years. BUT, just like you can't keep stolen property, you can't keep stolen land either. After the Disapora and the expulsion of the Jewish people from their OWN land, the land was renamed by the ROMANS, ........ are you ready for this??....... Syria Palestinia and Jerusalem was renamed............... Capitalonia. It was STILL Jewish land and was called by the ancient name of Judea and Samaria. It included all of what is now called Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and parts of Syria.
Ask the moslems just WHY they have built their 'Dome of the Rock' on TOP of the Jewish Temple?? Because the Jewish Temple was there FIRST!
we there modern palestinians in 1947? i thought all these modern palistinians came from surrounding arab countries that evicted them. israel is the first country i know of that is expected to return land they won in war. we they not also attacked on the first day in existance and then again in 1967 but their neighbors? wasn't this disputed land acquired in the 1967 war? i am not sure but i do believe this is how it went. i was 6 in 1967 so i am not sure of these facts.
The Israelis didn't 'win' the land in war back in 1948, Troll. The Israelis RECLAIMED land that had been stolen from the Jewish people by the Romans, thousands of years ago.
THAT is what MUST be remembered. The Jewish people have NEVER forced conversions under pain of death like the moslems or the Christians for that matter, have.
@ THE TROLL
Israel was attacked the SAME day it Declared it's Independence, May 14, 1948, by the Arabs.
Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq. I t was conclude in July 1949, with all but Iraq signing a Peace treaty.
Largely because there was NO LEADER in the Arab World, who could head a campaign by the Arabs.
really? need you enforce your side of the coin to us about their history? yeah go on...we do read their history too..
When are these governments gonna realise we are all just people trying to make it in this world. People dont make wars governemts do.
Have you ever watched little children in a sandbox? they are happy to play with one another regardless of color or religion..their minds have not been poisoned yet. Why do we tend to over look the obvious? We are all children of this world and it is not that big of a world...we must all live here together. Why not just except each other as fellow humans and be done with it instead of tryng to make everyone think and believe the same. We arent the same ..we are all different ..every one of us! There is nothing wrong with wanting peace and believing in "live and let live".
children do not know to hate. someone teaches them to hate.
israel is in big trouble. period. high cost of security with /because of people who don't want peace with you. and an american president whose pro-arab/muslim....war is always the outcome for these things. now with egypt reneging on the peace treaty and allowing the muslim brotherhood to take over., its just a matter of time..
An American awakening? Two realizations and necessary actions: stop fighting unnecessary wars for Israeli/AIPAC interests and ending the parasitic rule of the Zionist global financial elite. If successful, the American people might actually experience a truer democracy and more economic justice in the future. Well, we are allowed to dream before we die, right?
Elaine. In my book, you are the winner. Now, I hope everyone will read your comments. Can you move them to the top somehow?
america no longer has a backbone and they do not even protest anymore. corporations control our lives and soon they will have their say in every aspect of our lives. The one world government and economy isn't working for us, it's for the rich.. get it?
Are you nuts. American soldiers have never fought in any Israeli war! Nor in any Israel/Arab war.
I am wondering when Iran spring would arrive? Iranian people needs to be awakened from the deep sleep that they have gone to. All crucial factors that have triggered uprisings in Syria, Libya, Egypt, Tunisia etc exist in a wide spectrum in this country. Economy , in particular, is in a very bad shape so that poeple are in desperate to provide their necessities. Moreover, inflation rate is increasing on weekly, not to say daily, bases. I dont know what kind of magic Iran`s brutal and oppressive regime has done to people of Iran that they are mostly silent and irresponsive to whatever happenes in their country.
the same thing our corporate regime has done here in the US. the people are too busy fighting to survive day to day and there is no one in the government fight for them only against them. i like the tent city plan mentioned in a previous post and we should name the camps after our ineffective leadership like the Hoovervilles of the 1930's. IE. Boehnerton, Cantorville, Bachmann Project, ect...