See expanded section The 2011 Israeli social justice protests (Hebrew: מְחָאַת צֶדֶק חֶבְרָתִי), which are also referred to by various other names in the media, were a series of demonstrations in Israel beginning in July 2011 involving hundreds of thousands of protesters from a variety of socio-economic and religious backgrounds opposing the continuing rise in the cost of living (particularly housing) and the deterioration of public services such as health and education.

The housing protests which sparked the first demonstrations began as a result of a Facebook protest group that initially led hundreds of people to establish tents in the Rothschild Boulevard in the center of Tel Aviv, an act which soon gained momentum, media attention and began a public discourse in Israel regarding the high cost of housing and living expenses.

[3] Maariv journalist Kalman Libeskind claimed that the spontaneous protests had actually been three months in the planning by Stan Greenberg and orchestrated by left-wing organizations and the National Left.

[7] On 22 June 2012, Daphne Leef and several other activists tried to restart the housing protests by re-erecting a tent encampment on Rothschild Boulevard.

[22] A major catalyst for public anger has been the significant rise in the cost of living, particularly for the lower and middle class.

Although average salaries in Israel tend to be lower than those in the Western world, the cost of many consumer goods is relatively high – particularly basic necessities on which long established price controls have gradually been lifted.

According to data from the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, from 2005 to 2011 apartment rental prices rose 34% on average, 49% in the Gush Dan region around Tel Aviv.

In July 2011, 25-year-old Israeli video editor Daphne Leef had to vacate the central Tel Aviv apartment where she had lived for three years due to major renovations in her building.

[63] The Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu initially reacted to the protests by stating that he is aware of the crisis, and that "the government is working to fix the plague that haunts us for many years.

[65] On 8 August 2011, Prime Minister Netanyahu appointed a committee to pinpoint and propose solutions to Israel's socioeconomic problems.

The committee's task was to hold discussions with "different groups and sectors within the public", and subsequently make proposals to the government's socioeconomic cabinet, headed by Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz.

[citation needed] Amongst the most prominent activists in the protests are Daphne Leef,[69] Stav Shaffir,[14] Yigal Rambam,[70] Jonathan Levy,[71] Orly Weisselberg, Roee Neuman, Jonathan Miller,[72] Regev Kontas,[73] Adam Dovz'insky,[74] Itzik Shmuli, Baroch Oren[75] and Boaz Gaon.

On the day on which the protest began, "the National Left" movement called its activists to get to the Rothschild Boulevard, and organized the delivery of 20 tents to the encampment.

[84] Several activists posted Daphne Leef's call on the movement's web site and invited their friends to join the encampment.

The Jewish U.S.-based non-profit organization "New Israel Fund" gave guidance and logistical support to the encampments in Kiryat Shmona, Be'er Sheva and elsewhere.

[90] The head of the Shatil activist wing of the New Israel Fund admitted that the group was working behind the scenes and coordinating multiple tent locations and published a report on its activities.

[92] The Zionist extra-parliamentary[citation needed] group "Im Tirtzu", which initially supported the protests, later announced that it would stop its involvement due to the participation of the "New Israel Fund".

The Bnei Akiva and the "Rannim" movements (both of the religious Zionism) announced that they would also stop their involvement in the protests in Tel Aviv.

[98] Jimmy Wales, a co-founder of Wikipedia, visited the tent cities in Tel Aviv where the protests were taking place.

Most of the criticism has focused on the allegations that the protests were not spontaneous, and that they were scheduled and planned by various left-wing media and political organizations in Israel.

It is alleged that these organizations exploited the protests initiated by Daphne Leef as well as the economic distress that exists among large sections of the Israeli public in order to promote a political agenda that they finance, and which is primarily designed to overthrow the current right-wing government headed by Benjamin Netanyahu; it is alleged that finding actual solutions to the housing crises in Israel is only a secondary concern.

[103][104] The Tel-Aviv city hall was criticized for indirectly supporting the protests at 40,000ILS per day, price including electricity and clean services.

[106][107] At a press conference held on 26 July 2011 Daphne Leef responded to the various allegations made against her and the protest organizers and stated the following:[108] What hasn't been said about me in the recent days?