Israel’s Second Independence Day

Israel held its largest ever protest last night as nearly half a million people rallied for social justice.

Over 450,000 protesters took to the streets across Israel Saturday night for the largest demonstration in the country’s 63 year history. In what protest leader Yonathan Levy likened to “a second Independence Day,” people gathered by the thousands in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa to rally for social justice issues. Though the tent city has been taken down, advocates continued to rally for issues like feeding the hungry, education, maternal care, and greater integration between Jews and Arabs. 300,000 people gathered in Tel Aviv, 50,000 gathered in Jerusalem, 40,000 gathered in Haifa, and no one gathered in Be'er Sheva, Ashdod, or Ashkelon, where demonstrations were banned because of the danger of rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip.

Image courtesy of Reuters.