A group of students protesting the lack of Tel Aviv housing have invaded a skyscraper under construction at the Frishman-Dizengoff intersection, determined to stop construction work.
The students have climbed up to the top floors, hung their signs and are now blocking access to the construction site.
“It isn’t fair that we young people don’t have where to live, while you contractors take advantage of your workers, pay them less than minimum wage, and charge fortunes for the apartments you sell,” shouted the students, demanding the workers stop the construction.
This morning, dozens of activists from the ‘National Left’ movement blocked the Tel Aviv Azrieli intersection on the Namir highway, and erected ten tents near government buildings in Tel Aviv. The movement promises harsher measures of protest in the next 24 hours.
The housing protestors are demanding construction of small apartments suitable for students and young couples, lower rent rates, and attractive mortgage terms.
While the public is generally sympathetic to the protest, it does not necessrily see the lowering of rent and purchase prices in the highly desirable Tel Aviv area as a just or realistic goal. So called "development towns" and Yesha communities have suggested moving to their areas. Still, available housing everywhere is way below needs, partly due to the building freeze in Yesha, and the government has yet to address the issue of enough convenient, low cost transportation to the center of the country where the jobs are.
Unfortunately, the protest has been marred, according to the proactive Zionist student organization Im Tirtzu, by acceping funds from the ultra-leftist New Israel Fund.