BICOM

Top officials in Israel met past midnight at the Prime Minister’s office to try and find a solution to the housing crisis, which has seen ‘tent cities’ spawn across the country in protest. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held emergency talks with Housing Minister Ariel Attias, Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz and Prime Minister’s Office Director General Eyal Gabbai, to discuss how to slash prices and to make it easier to buy apartments. The meeting lasted several hours longer than anticipated, but did not end with a breakthrough. According to Israeli media reports this morning, the impasse is due to the Treasury and Housing and Construction Ministry’s inability to reach an agreement on the issue, mostly relating to the cost of the proposed solutions. Meanwhile, protests continued around the country last night as mainly young Israeli protesters gathered with tents at city centres around the country. 

The housing protests is the latest in a chain of protests in Israel linked to the cost of living. Last month Israelis boycotted cottage cheese, forcing producers to lower prices. Another emergency meeting is scheduled to take place at the Prime Minister’s Office today on how to lower the prices of milk and other food products.

In another protest yesterday, hundreds of resident doctors left hospital wards, blocked traffic and demonstrated opposite the Israel Medical Association building in Ramat Gan to protest over pay and working conditions. The doctors told reporters that at this stage they do not intend to return to work, and that they are planning another protest today opposite the Knesset. This is the latest development in a long running labour dispute between doctors and the Health Ministry.