Eleven years after the massive cost of housing protests of 2011, the first signs have ow begun to appear that a similar movement is taking shape. This time, the protest has begun in the periphery, in Pardes Hanna, rather than Rothschild Boulevard in Tel Aviv.
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A tent encampment was erected earlier this week in the center of the town after the publication of the consumer price index, which indicated yet another cost of living hike in the country. Demonstrators said it was the first step toward a countrywide protest later this summer.
Several families have already moved to the encampment in Pardes Hanna to protest the large increase in rent and apartment prices. Signs at the encampment said: "Enough with the greediness," "We have no air left, let us breathe," "Everything is more expensive," "Where will it end?" and "A home equals security."Writing in black marker on one of the tents said, "It's expensive here."
Alon Ben Atia, one of the protesters, said: "My landlord came to me and said he was raising the rent from NIS 3,000 to NIS 4,800. We're talking about an apartment with a living room and one other room. I'm divorced with a daughter and pay child support. I can't meet that kind of rent. It's not just housing, everything is going up."
Another protester, Gavriel Ben Yair, said: "It's impossible to find an apartment at a sane price. The prices are too much. This isn't Tel Aviv here and the apartment owners are demanding rent of 6,000 shekels. It's out of proportion. Apartments that used to cost 2,500 shekels have jumped to 5,500 and even 6,000 shekels. It doesn't make sense."
Mor Cohen came to the encampment to support the protesters. "I'm appalled at the situation," she said. The prices in Pardes Hanna have risen by 50%. It's crazy. Where will we live? In a kennel? It's not normal."
Yitzhak Shavtayov said: "If we don't change our priorities in Israel, the tents will become permanent. If the country doesn't take responsibility, people will collapse. Apartment prices have become a monster. We are the emissaries of this entire nation. We want the system to understand there's a serious problem here."
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