The social justice protests in Israel last summer dubbed the “cottage cheese protests” which led to a drop in the price of cottage are set to start up again, this motzei Shabbos Nachamu 5772 near the Tel Aviv Museum. Organizers told the media “the silent majority will no longer be silent”, insisting the protest will not be a onetime event but mark a renewed effort to end today’s bleak socioeconomic realities in Israel.

The rally will include a call to the government to legislate a law that will demand “shouldering the burden equally,” calling to draft chareidim into the IDF. Idan Miller of the “sucker’s tent” announced he and his supporters are no longer willing to tolerate the policies of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his government, citing the recent government approval of the new plan that will result in higher taxes and price increases.

Miller accuses the government of wiping out and crushing the middle and lower class, insisting the protests will not cease until the situation changes as it must.

Activist Boaz Nole adds “anyone who works, who pays taxes, who serves [in the IDF] and all who feel the government has forgotten us must join us at the rally to demand equal sharing of the burden by all.

Itzik Shmueli, who heads the nation’s student union, explains “the prime minister always runs away from making a decision. He prefers to hit the middle class, at times with crushing economic sanctions and at times concerning the matter of equal service for all.”

With Tal Law expiring at midnight, August 1, 2012 brings a new unwanted reality for the chareidi tzibur as there is no longer a state law that entitles them to sit and study torah and not serve in the IDF. Actually, as of August 1, 2012 many avreichim will officially be absent from military service without authorization and the pressure is being turned up on Defense Minister Ehud Barak to take appropriate measures to being inducting chareidim in larger numbers towards compelling them to “share in the burden”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)