Yellow Vest protests reached Israel on Friday, with hundreds demonstrating in Tel Aviv over monopolies and the rising cost of living.
Ten protestors were arrested for disorderly behavior, bringing traffic to a standstill at the junction of Menachem Begin and Kaplan streets.
Police stopped the protesters from blocking the nearby Ayalon expressway.
Inspired by recent protests across France and other major European cities, organizers urged Israelis to take to the streets to fight the power of monopolies and oppose hikes in costs of electricity, water and subsidized food, as well as to dismantle the power of monopolies.
Protesters demanded government action to reform Israel’s food industry and slash gas prices.
Organizers emphasized that the protests are a grassroots initiative, not associated with any political party.
Protest leader Shai Cohen called on the people of Israel to participate in a crowdfunding campaign to raise 25,000 shekels to purchase yellow vests and megaphones, in order to ensure that the protests continue.
“The Israeli government must discuss this crisis at its next meeting on Sunday, and decide to put an end to the price increases before all the country burns,” said Cohen.
“Every family in Israel is going to lose hundreds or thousands of shekels every month due to the increases,” he continued. “The public cannot and will not pay more for being abandoned!”
“Food, electricity and water are not luxuries.”
Member of Knesset Itzik Shmuli (Zionist Union), who was a leader in the 2011 cost of living demonstrations, attended Friday’s protest.
“The Israeli government has declared war on the chance of the middle class and weaker layers of society to keep their heads above water,” Shmuli said.
“The Israeli public is not supposed to pay the price of a failing government with a crooked policy and which has agreed to the corrupt gas plan, which has driven this crazy wave of price increases. People demand solutions, not more committees!”
