Hundreds of chareidim in Bnei Brak and the Geula area of Yerushalayim stood on line Tuesday morning as thousands of liters of were being distributed free of charge.

Organizers of the cottage protests decided to arrange for giving away 4,000 liters of milk to low income families in the chareidi sector, in the two cities. In Bnei Brak, the milk giveaway took place near the Itzkowitz Shul and on Malchei Yisrael Street in Geula. In addition, bags of milk were given away in the south, in solidarity with residents who are once again compelled to deal with terrorist rocket fire into their communities.

The heads of what has become known as the ‘cottage cheese protests’ are working to compel a 30% reduction in the basic shopping basket, which includes milk, cottage and other basic food needs. Towards that end, they approached major dairies and arranged for today’s 4,000 liters of milk, with a mehadrin hechsher, and managed to do so paying NIS 3.40 a liter, over a shekel less per bag than the consumer is charged in local stores. In most stores, a liter of milk sells for close to NIS 5 a liter. Organizers add that if they were purchasing 40,000 liters instead of 4,000, they could have obtained an even more attractive price, confident that if public pressure continues, the prices can be driven down.

Protest organizers vow they will not tire and they will continue enlisting the support of a growing number of Israelis towards breaking the monopolies that simply have controlled pricing for too long, leading to the exorbitant price of basic foods in Israel.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)