Protester's Self-Immolation Sparks New Social Justice Rallies

Arutz Sheva ^ | 16/7/12 | Elad Benari

[Eleutheria5]

About 2,000 people arrived on Sunday evening at the government complex in Tel Aviv to demonstrate against public housing conditions in Israel. During the protest, the demonstrators tried to block major traffic arteries.

At the same time, there were also demonstrations in Jerusalem, Haifa and Be’er Sheva. Five protesters were arrested during the demonstration in Jerusalem after they tried to block a street.

The latest protests came following Saturday night’s self-immolation of Moshe Silman, a social justice protester who set himself ablaze during a rally in Tel Aviv, blaming government officials for his troubles.

Prior to lighting the match, the Haifa resident handed out copies of a letter in which he called top government leaders “villains” and said he received no rent subsidy although he could not work after a recent stroke.

"I have no money for medicine or rent,” the letter read. “I served in the army and until the age of 46 I served in the reserves. I will not be homeless; that is why I am protesting against all the injustices done to me, and those like me, by the state.”

Silman noted that he now receives NIS 2,300 in monthly disability benefits from which he pays for kupat holim (HMO) and buy medication and other necessities.

In the letter he named Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz specifically for his economic problems.

.....

[Eleutheria5]

TA Protester Self-Immolates Over Economic Troubles http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/157832

2,300 NIS a month in benefits? That's more than I pay in rent. Pity he didn't inspire more self-immolations. Seriously, these people are idiots.

[snowrip]

One down...

[HiTech RedNeck]

sounds like he’s really burned up about it

[jimpick]

Yeh he is a real hot head.

[Bob]

2,300 NIS a month in benefits?

That's $577.31 in US dollars at today's exchange rate.

[Toliy]

A little bit more information in this article:

According to reports, Silman owed the Tax Authority and National Insurance Institute of Israel about NIS 15,000 (some $3,800), but procedural errors and lost court cases against the authorities caused the debt to expand. Silman owned a small delivery service, and could not meet the debt. Eventually he lost his apartment.

And also this:

Idit Lev of the Rabbis for Human Rights organization accompanied Silman over the past year. "The State pushed him over the edge," she said. "He did not want to harm himself. He only wanted a roof over his head. They foreclosed his home, and later seized his mother's apartment as well."

Rabbi Lev said Silman was not eligible for rent support because he had previously owned an apartment. He was living at a friend's apartment, free of charge, she said.

Why was he not eligible for rent support? Did he default on housing payments for the apartment he had owned? Lots of open questions...

[SJackson]

Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

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It's sad, I mean the seriously. A little under $600 a month isn't a lot, 30% or so of the average working salary. Not worth burning yourself up over, even with healthcare. He should have found his was to the US, we pay the non productive better than that

[Eleutheria5]

At tomorrow’s exchange rate, too, 2,300 NIS is my rent in Kiryat Arba, and I’ve paid a good deal less in the past. If he couldn’t afford to rent in Haifa, which is horribly polluted anyway, he should have moved to Judah and Samaria. Social justice. Hah. Self-immolation rather than move to a new neighborhood.

[RPTMS]

That’ll show ‘em!