Leaders of the Israeli social justice movement say they are prepared to
take a step towards entering the political arena in light of the
upcoming elections which were announced by the government this week.
Since
the start of the movement, it’s leaders have made clear that they
wished to stay a social initiative for the Israeli people and remain
disconnected from the political arena.
With the upcoming
elections however, the opportunity to influence decision-making at
parliamentary level seems to gain popularity amongst the movement’s
leaders.
Yonatan Levy, one of the main organizers of the summer
2011 protests, explained he is convinced building a party is the
necessary next step to the social cause: “The last year and a half has
proven to us that if we are not in the political sphere, it doesn’t
really matter how many people we will get to come out to the streets,”
he said. “At the end of the day, the decisions are made in the political
system. There is an urgent need for people who participate in the
movement and people who identify with it, especially young people, to
enter the political arena,” he added.
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