September 3, 2011
Streets in cities throughout Israel are packed with more than 450,000 protesters in the largest demonstration in the history of the state to date. The protests are billed as the “March of the Million” and are part of the summer-long social justice movement in which mostly young Israelis demand more affordable housing and relief from the high cost of living.
The march is held under the slogan of “The government only understands the numbers.” Speaking to the crowd in Tel Aviv, student leader Itzik Shmuli says, “Mr. Prime Minister, the new Israelis have a dream, and it is simple: to weave the story of our lives into Israel. We expect you to let us live in this country. The new Israelis will not give up. They demand change and will not stop until real solutions come.”
The following day, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says in a government meeting that the government has a duty to “correct social disparities.” In December 2011, the Trajtenberg Committee, established in August 2011 to address the issues of the cost of living in Israel, makes several recommendations for changing tax laws as well as creating more affordable housing.