During the summer of 2011, a grassroots social demonstration evolved into a movement that unified nearly one million Israelis. It began when 26-year-old Daphne Leef could no longer afford to rent her Tel Aviv apartment after renovations drove up the cost. She moved out, started a Facebook group calling for Israelis to camp out on the spacious median of Rothschild Blvd. and on July 14th, erected the first tent across from Habima Square. What started as a creative protest against the high cost of housing, erupted into a non-violent revolution that united hundreds of thousands of Israelis through the demand of social justice.
The "Tent City" movement may have been influenced by the revolutions of Israel's neighbors that continue to fight for democracy. The "Arab Spring" was born of acute desperation because many felt they had nothing left to lose. Israel's volatile political climate and tumultuous history created a despondency that kept many feeling powerless. Although their circumstances differ, the revolutions of the Middle East all share one thing in common. The people are waking up and speaking out.
And yet, the nature of tents are temporary. As students return to school, young adults to their jobs and the stress of living a vagabond lifestyle takes its toll, the tents will slowly fold. Most lived in the villages while continuing to pay rent because they believed in a common cause, regardless of class, creed or color. Despite the polarization of political views throughout Israel, hundreds of thousands were able to come together both in tents and in massive demonstrations that brought hundreds of thousands to the streets all over the country. They demanded a reorganization of governmental priorities and the government listened. The people want a stable welfare society that is proud of its Jewish identity, territory and ideology aside. The government can not neglect that.
The dedication of common individuals who led the non-violent, social revolution, allowed the world to see what democracy should look like in the Middle East. Even after Rothschild Blvd.’s spacious medians are returned, Israelis won’t forget that a single voice is daring, but a collective will make history.