The revolutions that have spontaneously burst across the Arab world caught almost everyone by surprise. No one saw them coming, no one realized the people were hurting. Some how in those dictatorships, no one thought that the citizens that have been disenfranchised for decades upon decades, might actually wake-up, stand-up and fight for their rights.
"Rotschild corner Tahrir"Then, a few months later, a similar awakening happened here in Israel. The fight here wasn't against a dictatorship nor against a complete disenfranchisement but rather about the fact that the ordinary citizen felt powerless. That the government only listened to a handful of citizens with really deep pockets, or really strong political cards, and didn't care, help or fight for the rights of the rest of the citizens. Even the opposite as the lives of the ordinary became harder and harder.
When the protests began in Rotschild street, everyone wondered - who is that group of young adults? They seem to lack an actual leadership, speak in too many voices and lack an agenda - what do they want? What are they saying?
The protesters were met with cynicism and skepticism. Oh no worries, its just a group of hippies and this episode will pass like a breeze on a summer day. Then suddenly, the tide switched. People realized the fight was about the rights of the ordinary citizen, you, me, to receive equal treatment from the government just like the citizens who yield deeper pockets, whose last names are more famous, who happen to live, metaphorically or not, next to those who are close to the political plate.
The government tried to stall. Tried to divide and conquer the protesters. They said it wouldn't last. It did.
Then they took down our symbols - the tents. While you can take down a tent, you can't stop an awakening. You can't stop knowledge. Once people know that they are being disenfranchised and they want to do something about it - they'll fight. Fight for their rights.
We are awake here in Israel - don't hit the snooze button in the U.S..
