Heated Discontent in Israel: A Protester Sets himself on Fire (photos)

Protest action broke out in Israel. Marches were held in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa, where a man set himself alight.

Two separate events were being held at the same time. Thousands of people participated in one of the protests organized by social activist Dafni Leef. The protest action culminated in a large demonstration outside the government building.
One of the protesters, a 52 year-old man poured gasoline on his body and set himself on fire. People on the scene succeeded to extinguish the fire before ambulance arrived and moved him to a hospital. The man left a letter at the scene: “The state of Israel stole from me and robbed me. It left me helpless”, reports the Haaretz newspaper. The letter also reads that he blames the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finances for humiliation, which weaken the citizens day by day, taking from the poor and giving to the rich.
And on the other part of the city “Million men march” was held. 500 Jewish and Arabs participated in the protest of Haifa calling on the Israel parliament to do more for social justice and spend less on the military. Their slogans were “Money for neighborhoods, not for the settlements”, “Money for welfare not for wars.”
The protest actions were organized to commemorate the protest of the last year against social injustice. Dafni Leef and 9 other activists set up tents in one of the bulevards of Tel Aviv. The number of tents quickly mushroomed and included 10 percent of the country’s population.