A protest rally for people rendered homeless by soaring rents drew a disappointing turnout Saturday night in Tel Aviv’s Malchei Yisrael Square.
Police estimated the crowd at about 1,000, far from the many thousands anticipated by the rally’s organizers.
Some had been camping out all week in makeshift tents in front of the Tel Aviv City Hall. They were joined by homeless Israelis who have erected tent camps around the country — both as places of refuge and as expressions of protest.
If lacking in numbers, the demonstrators nevertheless addressed one of the most serious and divisive social issues confronting Israel.
Representatives of the homeless demanded immediate housing for couples forced from their apartments because landlords are demanding rent hikes of 50 percent or more.
Landlords can get the higher rents from new immigrants, who receive generous subsidies from the government and Jewish Agency to cover their first year’s housing costs.
Speakers at the rally stressed the related social problem of rising unemployment, which now exceeds 10 percent. They urged the government to find jobs for workers laid off because of the economic recession.
Another target of the protesters was the higher prices of basic goods and services since the government slashed price subsidies as a budget-cutting measure.
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