Hundreds of workers and pensioners demonstrated yesterday at the Cinematheque Square in Tel Aviv against the rising cost of living, marching towards the government complex on Kaplan Street. The demonstration, which carried the slogan "Enough! It's too expensive for us here," is part of the national protest wave led by the Histadrut, demanding that the government adopt a broad emergency plan to address the cost of living. The protesters shouted: "Everything is too expensive, raise the wages!”
The chairman of the Histadrut in the Tel Aviv region, Gershon Gelman, said at the demonstration: "This cry is heard from every house in Israel – rising inflation, interest that is suffocating the mortgages, crazy prices in the supermarket. We are embarking on a struggle and we will not stop up until we see an actual government commitment to help. If we have to we will also shut down the economy. If they won't talk to us, we will force them. Nothing will help, we demand social justice."
According to Gelman, "We have a great common denominator here. This is not about politics. Although I am very afraid of the political decisions of a finance minister who I am not sure cares about us – workers, pensioners, workers, self-employed. We will all be united."
Chairman of the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality Employees' Organization, Rami Ben Gas said: "Thank you to all the workers who came to support the justified struggle. The struggle we are leading is for all the residents of the State of Israel. People who don't have an affiliation to a party, to one sector or another or only to the unionized workers, or only to the public service.
![Protester march holding signs that read "Enough!" (Photo: Julia Larma)](https://static.davar1.co.il/www/uploads/2023/01/Larma_34-768x512.jpg "Protester march holding signs that read "Enough!" (Photo: Julia Larma)")
“There is no household in the State of Israel that has not been hit hard by the cost of living, and on the other hand, the wage freeze and erosion has created a situation where thousands of workers aren't able to start the month, even in the powerful Tel Aviv Municipality,” he went on. “This is not our fate. In a joint struggle, we will act on both axes – to exert pressure against the tycoons who raise our prices, and at the same time we will strengthen the Histadrut in the fight for wage increases in the public service."
The chairman of the Wolfson Hospital workers' union, Daniel Cohen, said at the demonstration: "The state needs to be shut down. We rule the country, not a government that was sworn in two months ago. I voted for them, and I despise them."
Workers and pensioners at a Histadrut protest march over the cost of living in Tel Aviv (Photo: Julia Larma)
Histadrut chairman in the Holon-Bat Yam region, Avi Afia: "We are here and will remain here. At all intersections, throughout the country, wherever necessary. There was COVID, we buckled down and did what was needed. The time has come to pay the workers."
Chairman of the Histadrut in the Sharon region, Yohanan Natanzon: "Today the young people cannot pay for the things they need. They have to stick to mortgages and have no money to live on. Pensioners have no money to help their children. This impressive demonstration speaks for itself, we say – enough! It is too expensive. We have no livelihood."
The chairman of Na’amat, the Histadrut’s women's organization in the Tel Aviv area, Anat Oz: "80 thousand people were in the Bima square [in the protests against the judicial reforms], and I expected there to be 200 thousand here, if not more, because the cost of living affects everyone. I ask everyone to take this as a national mission. I see adults here holding signs, choking when they talk about the cost of living. It's a shame. We must fight for a life with respect for our elderly."
Chairman of the Pensioners' Association, Shmulik Mizrahi: "Today, many pensioners do not turn on the boiler or buy medicine because they have no money. Those who fought in all of Israel's wars, who built our country, the country throws them under the bus. The cost of living hurts us all, but especially pensioners who are unable to support themselves."
The deputy chairman of the Histadrut, Pini Cabello: "The working public is united and no one will separate us. The state has reserves of money, the public of workers who bear all the taxes must be answered. We will not allow the current government's policy, the working public cannot be weakened."
This article was translated from Hebrew by Matt Levy.
