PERSPECTIVE | FES ISRAEL For social justice but against a political agenda The social protest movement in Israel is at a crossroads DR RALF HEXEL August 2011 n The protest movement against soaring rents and the high cost of living began as a spontaneous protest of young people in a Facebook group. The movement is non­partisan and regards itself as apolitical. Parties and trade unions are not involved. n At the root of the uprising is the economic situation of the middle class, which is highly burdened by the state but does not profit from the country’s economic boom. Fear of social decline and an increase in poverty explain the movement’s central demand: social justice. n Prime Minister Netanyahu will not simply change the priorities of his rightist – religious government’s political agenda: national security, settlement construction, government funding of the ultra-orthodox community. His number one political aim is preservation of power and of the status quo. n The protest movement is at a crossroads. In order to be successful, it will have to find expression for its social demands in an authentic political agenda and build up an organisational basis. This will be the means to achieve their ends: redefining the priorities of national politics.