European students stand up for Israeli counterparts

LAZY – The European Students’ Union (ESU) backs the massive protests in cities all across Israel which took place on Saturday night, 3 September. Allan Päll, ESU Chairperson, said: “The Israeli government should listen to its people. It is clear that they are strongly affected by the ongoing budget cuts. Too many times, funding for the weakest in society, including students, has seen a decrease.”

The Israeli uprise on social issues has been ongoing in the country during the last few months and reached a record number of participants, an estimated 400,000, in the last weekend.

NUIS, Israeli member union of ESU, has been co-organising the protests. Päll: “Students and Israeli citizens have showed the world that a little protest against raising the rents can turn into a movement that is demanding radical changes.” Hundreds of thousands of protesters from different socio-economic and religious backgrounds are opposing the continuing rise in the cost of living in Israel, in particular the relatively high housing prices in Israel and the lack of affordable housing solutions in the country.
Struggle for social equality

The letter, which ESU has sent to the Israeli government, reads:  “ESU supports NUIS in their struggle for social equality, for changes of the economic system and better employment and to support the ones in need. We address the Israeli government to listen to the voice of students on the streets and react by engaging to find solutions.”

ESU is the umbrella organisation of 45 national unions of students from 38 European countries and represents around 11 million students at the European level. The full letter can be read here.

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Published: 5 September 2011

For more information, please contact:
Allan Päll, ESU Chairperson: +32/479.591.499 or allan@esu-online.org or Marianne Slegers, ESU Communications Manager: +32/473.669.894 or marianne@esu-online.org