Israeli student demonstrators block the main entry to the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) in Jerusalem on August 3, 2011 during a protest against a government housing bill which they claim will only favour the big construction companies. – AFP Photo
Police said that hundreds of demonstrators blocked intersections in cities across the country, ranging from the southern desert city of Beersheva to Kiryat Shmona in the far north. Others stopped traffic in downtown Tel Aviv.
A police spokeswoman said that six people were arrested, three in Tel Aviv and three in Beersheva.
Public radio said that protesters blocked a total of 10 major junctions nationwide.
Protest leaders are calling for mass rallies to be held on Saturday, a week after an estimated 100,000 Israelis took to the streets across the country in some of the largest demonstrations ever seen in the Jewish state.
They railed against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has defended the bill as a measure that will help bring down housing costs, accusing him of ignoring their protests.
“Even though the people of Israel are out on the streets, despite the huge demonstrations (last) Saturday night, Netanyahu and his government are not heeding the voice of the people,” student organiser Yotam Brum told public radio.
“They carry on and pass a law which is not acceptable to us, a law which will benefit big capital and not the citizens of Israel,” he said.
“We shall continue to escalate our struggle until Netanyahu and his government understand that they serve the people and not the tycoons.”
Parliament’s website said that the government-sponsored bill to streamline planning and building formalities passed by 57-45 votes.
In a statement, Netanyahu welcomed the bill’s passage.
“The state of Israel today opened the taps for all those thirsting for accommodation at a reasonable price,” he said.
“The act will fast-track thousands of apartments and bring down prices.” But opponents of the law, including much of the protest movement that has shaken the country in recent weeks, fear it will mainly encourage big developers to build luxury projects rather than affordable housing.
Green campaigners also say that streamlining planning procedures could result in construction without proper environmental safeguards.
Delegates from the various groups involved in the cost-of-living campaign continued working on Wednesday to draw up a common list of demands from the government on issues including affordable housing, taxation, child care and reforms to health and education.
“We agreed on taxes, and discussions will continue on Wednesday over our demands on health and education,” student union leader Itzik Shmuli told army radio.
The Jerusalem Post newspaper published a poll on Wednesday saying that if a “social party” representing the protest movement were to enter politics it could win 20 of parliament’s 120 seats and become the second-largest party, with Netanyahu’s Likud projected to take 22.
The survey was conducted by Smith Research Institute with a sample of 500 people and a margin of error of 4.5 percentage points.
The protest movement has snowballed since it leapt last month from a call on Facebook onto the streets of Tel Aviv and across the country, tapping into deep frustration over the cost of living and income disparity.
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