Israelis by the hundreds of thousands have marched in protest since July 14, shouting slogans like those heard in the Arab uprisings, in the same tone and the same rhythms – above all, "The people demands social justice!" The demonstration of July 30 (with 150,000 protesters) and the one of August 6 (with 300,000) are expressions of a monumental social movement which has no precedent in Israeli history. This was the first time that I, born and bred in Jaffa, felt that the human wave washing over Tel Aviv was also carrying me, was also attentive to my aspirations, that the shouts were mine too, regardless of race, religion or gender – even if only for a day.
It is not self-evident that Tel Aviv, the New York of the Middle East, would adopt the slogans of the Arab world, would be influenced by its uprisings, and would make similar demands of its leaders – the leaders who were taken by surprise and still don’t know how to respond.
http://www.countercurrents.org/zahalka130811.htm
