JERUSALEM (JTA) — Several hundred protesters marched in Tel Aviv to protest rises in gas and electricity prices, and the higher cost of living.
The Saturday night march from Rabin Square to the Tel Aviv Museum of Art came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he would cut the excise tax on gas, reducing a planned increase in the price.
It is the second time in two months that Netanyahu has held the price of gas just below about $8 a gallon.
The protest, under the heading "From Slavery to Freedom," in reference to the upcoming Passover holiday, came just days after a Bank of Israel report issued last week said that social gaps in Israel widened last year due to government policies.
The protest was organized by the same coalition that led last summer’s social justice protests. Protesters also called for Netanyahu’s resignation.
Daphne Leef and Stav Shaffir, leaders of last summer’s protests, are both currently on a lecture circuit in the United States raising money for the cause, according to reports.
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