Tent Cities and Silver Mushrooms

Tent cities are popping up everywhere. Like mushrooms after the rain (don't we wish we had rain), they're dotting grassy areas in every city around Israel. And their inhabitants are calling for affordable housing, affordable cottage cheese, an affordable life.

I agree that we need affordable housing. And I know how to achieve it...

If only the government would stop freezing building in Judea and Samaria, the housing crisis would be solved. The mountains and hilltops along Route 60 have plenty of room for Jewish families, and they're located so close to main employment centers throughout the country, they're ideal for commuters.

While driving around this week, I spotted a tent city in Ashkelon and another in Gan Saccar in Jerusalem.

Still...wouldn't it be amazing they were able to influence housing prices to drop so that young families could finally afford their own home? That's good for everyone.

So, besides this call for "Social Justice" and tent city dwellers say is pulling them, they're also having a "chavaya" - an unforgettable experience. They're camping out for a few weeks on the grass in the middle of the city, having fun, making new friends, enjoying good music, chatting, meeting interesting visitors and getting tons of publicity. They've really got something to remember from the hot summer of 2011.

Silver Mushrooms

Meanwhile Home Depot or Ricochet or wherever they're getting those tents, are doing a booming business, because all the tents are the same silver igloos, and the grass in town looks like little silver mushrooms are sprouting everywhere.

Now that I think of it, perhaps this whole mushroom tent city is just a giant promo for the new 3 d Smurfs movie.

(Top two photos, Ashkelon protest. Bottom left photo, Gan Saccar demo.)