Suddenly Netanyahu is under pressure on settlements from within: they cost too much, say Israeli protesters, reports Saleh Al-Naami Since its creation in 1948, Israel has not seen massive demonstrations for social grumblings such as the ones going on these days. Tens of thousands of Israeli youth enthusiastically organise widespread protests demanding that the government cut rising prices, especially the cost of residential apartments, food and oil products. The zenith was reached when half a million Israelis took part in a massive march in the centre of Tel Aviv Saturday evening raising the banner "The people demand social justice". Protest sponsors say that they have learned a lot from the revolutions for democracy sweeping across the Arab world. Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav said that demonstrators in his city are trying to imitate protesters in the squares of Tunis and Cairo. Gradually, demonstrations are growing bigger -- better known as the "revolution of tents" -- and have extended to many social and professional circles in Israel. The protests that in the beginning were organised by university and medical students have expanded to many other sectors, especially the middle class in Israel. At first glance, these protests appear to be a domestic issue for Israel, but in reality they greatly influence the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian people. Demonstrators accuse the Jewish settlement project that has spread on Arab lands occupied in 1967 with a list of infractions and condemn the Israeli government for keenly pursuing this scheme over the past four decades. Many sponsors of these marches believe that the economic hardships that the middle and poor classes in Israel are suffering equally are a result of the government pouring large investments into settlement schemes in the West Bank, while abandoning the middle class and weaker sectors in society to their own devices. The protesters tell Israeli public opinion that while a Jewish settler living in the West Bank and Jerusalem is given an apartment almost for free, the average price of an apartment inside Israel has reached $500,000. This is a very high price even in a country where the annual income of an individual averages $19,000. Prices in Israel have shot up to the extent that a couple whose combined monthly income is nearly $7,500 is unable to pay rent and afford other expenses. Many Israelis are asking themselves how the overall civilian and military cost of maintaining settlements per year amount to $1.5 billion, while Israelis pay taxes for apartments that are 75 per cent more than their counterparts in industrialised nations. Others are also questioning why taxes on apartments are not cut instead of allocating extravagant budgets for settlements. Netanyahu realises that protests of an apparently social nature could be a step away from a vote of no confidence in his government's political programme, since his cabinet designated settlements as development zones, which commits his government to allocating more funds for them. Also, providing settlers with more incentives, especially in terms of tax cuts and other services, while raising taxes for citizens living inside Israel. Israel's right wing -- especially settlement leaders -- is now on the defensive and spending nights and days confronting protests that threaten the legitimacy of Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Netanyahu and the ruling elite were caught unaware by demonstrations that focus on the high price Israelis are paying in return for the expansion of the settlement scheme in the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem. As the signs of the economic crisis suffered by the majority of Israelis living inside Israel continue to accumulate, Netanyahu has become aware that unprecedented and extensive popular protests is a tough challenge for traditional right wing rhetoric, which has so far remained intact because of the apathy of Israeli public opinion towards what is happening in the occupied territories. Netanyahu and right wing leaders now realise that continued protests will embarrass them and raise many questions about the authenticity of their rhetoric. There are signs that the Israeli government will be forced to cut funding of many military projects that were previously seen as critical for the occupation army and its mechanism of oppression. This would provide funds for many services they are obliged to provide for the middle and poorer classes. There are those in Israel who believe the "revolution of tents" will further erode Israel's standing on the international stage because it will reveal to the world -- contrary to the image Netanyahu is trying to portray -- that the settlement project on Arab land occupied in 1967 is not supported by the majority of Israelis. This would encourage many international players to pressure Israel. At the same time, popular demonstrations are embarrassing international powers that are irrationally biased towards Israel, especially the US. In light of these protests, the US administration's ability to justify its collusion with Israel will be greatly curtailed. In light of these dire circumstances for the right wing and settlement leaders, Netanyahu will be eager to manipulate any developments in relations with Arab parties to present proof to Israeli public opinion that the protest movement is harming Israel's supreme interests. Accordingly, Netanyahu was quick to manipulate the missile attacks by minor Palestinian groups on southern Israel, asserting that the assaults prove that Israelis must unite behind the government to confront such attacks. He even hinted at launching a massive military operation targeting Gaza. Naturally, Netanyahu is trying to dexterously employ anything that would remove the issue of settlements from public debate. The right wing in Israel is eager for the Israeli media to refocus on any issue other than the protests and the negative effects of settlements on the social and economic reality of Israeli citizens. This would limit the ability of protest organisers to use protests as proof of the impotency of Israel's right wing policies. Palestinian researcher and writer Tawfiq Abu Shumar strongly condemned the missile attacks, stating that Israel is exaggerating the threat of the missiles to convince Israeli public opinion that settlements are not the problem. The missiles that are launched from Gaza most of the time serve Israel's interests, strengthen its fanaticism and cement its fragile social fabric, Abu Shumar explained. Abu Shumar wondered: "Is it not in our interest to increase calls inside Israel for the end of spending on settlements, instead of working to abort Israel's protest movement at inception by uniting Israelis once again through launching locally made missiles?" In this manner, many Palestinians are condemning sudden action by Palestinian groups to save Netanyahu, since missile attacks hand him an opportunity to prove to Zionist public opinion that the problem is not settlements but Palestinian terrorism that threatens the heart of Israel. As well as removing settlements from popular debate, the missile attacks from Gaza also achieve a set of goals that were directly referred to by Israel's minister for strategic threats, Moshe Yaalon, one month ago. In a significant statement, Yaalon said missile attacks from the Gaza Strip enable Israel to achieve the following goals: - They allow the Israeli army to implement previous plans targeting the infrastructure of the resistance, especially training camps and tunnels that Israel believes are being used to smuggle weapons and combat equipment. - They give more cause to launch massive military operations against the Gaza Strip whenever Israel sees fit. - They diminish the margin of manoeuvrability for international organisations trying to lift the siege on Gaza, stating to the world that the blockade must continue since it serves strategic interests that are critical not only to Israel's security but also the stability of the entire region. - They improve Israel's international standing, decreasing possible pressure on Israel to persuade Tel Aviv to make political concessions.
