While Libyans celebrate, the Syrian death-toll climbs, and Britain deals with the aftermath of its mob violence, well over a quarter-million people are participating in one of the largest civil protests in Israel’s history. In the wake of the Arab Spring, comparisons are inevitable between the demonstrations in Israel and those throughout the region. Like the movements in Tunisia and Egypt, the Israeli demonstrations were mobilized by young people, organized via social media, and garnered support through live updates on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. Both Israeli and Egyptian protesters say they will continue demonstrating until their demands are met. Israelis are also centering their protests on Rothschild Boulevard, a popular avenue in Tel Aviv, similar to the demonstrations in Cairo’s Tahrir Square.
The similarities end there. Unlike their neighbors, Israeli demonstrators are not arrested nor gunned down, and Netanyahu will not end up in court or in exile. While some Egyptian female protesters have been beaten, given electric shocks, and subjected to forced ‘virginity tests,’ young women play a prominent role in the Israel protests. Twenty-five-year old filmmaker Daphni Leef set off the demonstrations via a Facebook page, and graduate student Stav Shaffir is one of the movement’s leaders. Political factions fought each other violently in Egypt and Syria. When right-wing Israelis from the West Bank set up tents to argue for the expansion of housing in settlements, Shaffir and the Tel Aviv leadership told them they were welcome to join, but support for settlements would absolutely not become part of the movement’s platform — vigorous debate, but no violence. In Syria, the Assad regime has killed more than 2,000 demonstrators, arrested more than 12,000, and has forced tens of thousands to flee the country as refugees. Even in Britain, the riots left 5 dead and 3100 under arrest. In Israel, not a single death has been reported, and only a few minor arrests.