Despite threats to continue to disrupt school schedules again today (Friday), the national teachers union agreed to postpone sanctions until Sunday. Union officials warn this is just the beginning of their protests against the planned firing of 6,000 teachers as a result of governmental budget cuts.
Leaders of communities bordering the Palestinian Authority along Israel's pre-1967 border and the border with Lebanon, the so-called front-line communities, will also be protesting in Jerusalem on Sunday against the government's economic reforms. Communities along the northern border will lose tax and other benefits once the budget becomes law. The leaders of the front-line communities met today to discuss their next moves and what ramifications the proposed budget has for their towns and cities.
In Judea, Samaria and Gaza (Yesha), the leadership is also concerned over the impact the proposed budget will have on their communities. At an emergency meeting of the Yesha Council Thursday night, it was decided that Yesha communities would join the nationwide labor strike scheduled for Tuesday, in protest over the planned state budget. Municipal and educational services in Yesha communities will be closed along with their counterparts in pre-1967 Israel. Yesha Council leaders called the economic reforms "discriminatory" and detrimental to the future of Yesha residents.
A protest that did take place Friday was that of residents of the northern Shomron communities Ganim and Kadim. They were protesting what they call the difficult conditions on their area roads. Among residents' complaints is that army tanks regularly travel on the roads, preventing private vehicles from safely traveling or negotiating the roadways.
Leaders of communities bordering the Palestinian Authority along Israel's pre-1967 border and the border with Lebanon, the so-called front-line communities, will also be protesting in Jerusalem on Sunday against the government's economic reforms. Communities along the northern border will lose tax and other benefits once the budget becomes law. The leaders of the front-line communities met today to discuss their next moves and what ramifications the proposed budget has for their towns and cities.
In Judea, Samaria and Gaza (Yesha), the leadership is also concerned over the impact the proposed budget will have on their communities. At an emergency meeting of the Yesha Council Thursday night, it was decided that Yesha communities would join the nationwide labor strike scheduled for Tuesday, in protest over the planned state budget. Municipal and educational services in Yesha communities will be closed along with their counterparts in pre-1967 Israel. Yesha Council leaders called the economic reforms "discriminatory" and detrimental to the future of Yesha residents.
A protest that did take place Friday was that of residents of the northern Shomron communities Ganim and Kadim. They were protesting what they call the difficult conditions on their area roads. Among residents' complaints is that army tanks regularly travel on the roads, preventing private vehicles from safely traveling or negotiating the roadways.