A leftist event held in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, seemingly in honor of
International Workers’ Day which is marked on May 1, turned into a
call to bring back last summer’s social protest and overthrow the
government.
The young Israelis who protested Israel’s high housing prices last
summer repeatedly claimed that their protest was not political and
not leftist. Their connection to the radical left was proven early on
during the protest.
One of the speakers at Tuesday’s event was MK Dov Khenin, who chairs
the communist-based Hadash party. In his speech, he said that “May 1
this year should signal the beginning of summer. We need to bring
back a summer of protest, of resistance, of a social struggle.”
Khenin added, “Six months ago we numbered hundreds of thousands and
we saw how we are stronger when we are together. But the government
did not understand the message and instead of a social agenda it
continues to promote an agenda of deepening disparities, of
settlements and of military adventures, hurting the workers and
eliminating welfare arrangements.”
He went on to say, “We are here to tell them no more! When the
government is against the people, the people will be against the
government. If we´re going to have social justice - we need another
government!”
Khenin admitted in a conversation with Arutz Sheva that the May 1 day
is traditionally associated with the left side of the political
spectrum, but he also claimed that the leftists who held the rally
are “very open”.
