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Ayala: The idea began with mothers, families already living on the streets or those about to be chucked onto the streets. I am known as an address for such things and many turned to me for assistance. I arrived at the Barbur Gallery [a group of activist-artists; AIC] with an idea already in mind: the establishment of a protest tent of homeless people in order to press for a solution. At Barbur I met people who became friends and colleagues in the struggle. After several conversations they liked the idea. Before we established the tent in the park, we met with the families in Beit Shemesh and Jerusalem. We met with the people to ascertain that they are ready to fight. The meetings were very strong, particularly for the gang from Barbur. We had meetings with Shatil [an organization that provides consultancy to social change groups; AIC]. We went to see the park called the “Shiber Hole” [a public space in the center of Jerusalem; AIC]. We saw that the park has public toilets, running water, that it is situated near a health clinic and supermarket. That was in May of this year. We arranged to meet at 6am on 6 June and simply arrived at the park. On the first day we were terribly excited. We forgot to prepare dinner. We didn’t eat that day. This is how we began. Two tents and a small booth.

Did all the participating families live on the streets?

Ayala: No, but what does that matter? There were some that lived in bomb shelters. There were some that had been homeless in the past. One family lived with the sister of their mother. But this is not shelter, a warm house. People calculated that it was better for them to live on the street. At least in a tent there are additional families. Coming to the park and living in a group provided the families with a sense of security they had previously lacked.

Today, can you break the struggle down into stages?

Ayala: It is possible to say that there were two stages. In the first stage we were occupied for approximately one month with threats of evacuation and problems from the municipal inspectors and police. Every night anarchists and socialists would come from Tel Aviv to sleep with us. I even submitted a court petition to prevent our evacuation. There were people within the municipality who expressed solidarity. Good people who wished to help. But they always said to us: “Move to the Rose Garden” [a large public garden, situated across from the Knesset and far from the city centre; AIC]. An order was given to social workers not to visit families in the tent and really, not even one came to see what was happening. The licensing division of the mayor’s office always said: don’t cause embarrassment. Don’t make others work against you. Finally I gave up on this support and decided to remain there. I knew that I was acting on my intuition. Then, at some stage, they began with threats. They never completely stopped, but did let up a bit. Fewer visits from the municipal inspectors. They even gave us keys to the toilets for nights. After promises and threats, we received electricity. As long as I spoke nicely, they rejected and rejected us. As soon as I started to yell and go into the municipality building to cause problems, they began to help us.

In the second stage we began a public campaign. Negotiations commenced for housing solutions for the families and a wider struggle began. We began to arrive more and more to the Ministry of Housing, to “Prazot” [a government-municipal company that manages public housing in Jerusalem; AIC]. In the beginning of August we had our first high level committee meeting in the Ministry of Housing. The height of the campaign was our demonstration on Tu B’av [Jewish holiday akin to Arbor Day; AIC]. Here we really felt a change. This was an impressive demonstration that brought together very different populations: Jews, Arabs, homeless persons, activists. This demonstration symbolized our central message: public housing to all who need it.

Was there tension during the struggle between particular solutions for families and the wider struggle?

Ayala: Yes, but everyone divided the work. Some dealt with problems of housing, schools, finding solutions to personal problems of all kinds. Some of them within the public campaign. The demonstrations were also divided into two: the big demonstrations with the message of change for public policy; and protests that required personal solutions. There were activists who came and took testimonies. Much material accumulated about the injustices caused to families, weakened families that fall between the cracks because of bureaucratic indifference or hatred.

Avichai, an activist from the Barbur Gallery involved in the struggle: Today we have many statistics, numbers and facts about how things work on the ground and also on the policy level. For example, we know how to explain why there is not enough public housing. We know how to explain where the money went from the sale of public housing and was meant to be used to assist others requiring housing.

Do you feel you succeeded in the struggle?

Avichai: Today all of the families involved in the struggle are taken care of, in one way or another. It should be remembered that most of them fell between the arbitrary criteria that exist. For example, the criterion according to which a single parent with two children is not eligible for public housing but a parent with three children is. We cannot say that we already brought about a change in policy, but there are changes. There is a coalition in the Knesset, a coalition that did not previously exist, that connects Members of Knesset (MKs) from different and rival political parties. There is a team of MKs in the Knesset Committee for Housing. Amongst them, of course, is Ran Cohen (Meretz), who led the successful parliamentary struggle for the Law of Public Housing, which puts the rights of residents in the centre. We hope to push forward an amendment to the Law of Public Housing, according to which every shekel that comes in from the sale of public housing units to veteran residents will be devoted to building and acquiring housing for those in need. Today at least 60% of the money from the sale of public housing goes to other places. For example, the Jewish Agency.

We saw that we arrive at the Knesset or its committees prepared with statistics and facts and we embarrass the clerks put in front of us.

Ayala: The most important thing is the message that remains: one who sets out to struggle can also improve her or his personal situation. It is possible to bend the institution. It is possible to change the law. The tools that we acquired must now be transferred onwards.

How can you transfer these tools onwards?

Ayala: Social change organizations must take these tools of ours. They should hold workshops for families. To get them out, empower them.

And then what?

Ayala: We will continue to meet with the Knesset committees. We will be in touch. We will bring the families. On 20 January we will hold a large conference for families, MKs and social organizations. We will tell of our experiences. We will present achievements. We will report about existing legal proposals.

The situation today is extremely difficult and is only getting worse. People are busy trying to survive, so they don’t go out and fight. I know here in Jerusalem – and Jerusalem is a representative place – mothers who became prostitutes. Girls who sell their bodies for jeans and t-shirts. There are boys who sell drugs. Yes, they come from broken homes, but they are good children. They were normative children. They went to school. Why did they fall down? Because the same 14-year-old boy sees his mother turn to prostitution. Over a year ago, I brought reporters to the neighborhood and they entered a brothel. I threatened my reputation in the neighborhood by bringing television. They filmed, saw, heard. There are police, the legislative body, the executive body—where is everyone? In the meantime the brothels are expanding.

People need to understand that everything comes from the Israeli government. The government of Israel is the criminal. It is responsible for the distress of others. Soon it won’t be possible to leave home, for this distress will cause people to commit acts of desperation. Brigades will be formed here. From the juice of this garbage, monsters will be formed. In my opinion there are already people like this and they are simply waiting a bit longer. Militant organizations will arise that will just blow everything up. The only solution to this is a revolution. And this revolution will happen. It will come.