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Israel is witnessing the emergence of a new co-operative movement. As part of the social-economic protests currently taking place across the country, more people are recognising co-operatives as an alternative way to regenerate the Israeli economy.
Protests started in Israel about a year ago due to a rise in house prices, which subsequently led to an increase in food prices. Even though the economy is experiencing growth, the buying power of the middle class has decreased. Yifat Solel, one of the supporters of the new co-operative movement in Israel, explained how co-operatives came to be regarded as part of a solution to the socio-economic crisis: “After several decades of a capitalist way of thinking, co-operatives were considered something no longer relevant. Protests created a huge change in the way in which people look at things due to the establishment of a huge public university on the streets.
“A year ago I started giving lectures and was invited to different places in order to talk about co-operatives in general and to give specific ideas of how to start new initiatives. Creating a co-operative is now considered the thing to do. We recently opened a co-operative pub, which is now the coolest place to be in Tel Aviv. Even two MPs came at the opening of the Bar-Kaima, which translates as 'sustainable'."
A civil rights lawyer by profession, Miss Solel is looking to draft a new law on co-operatives, which would include co-operative principles: “Israeli law has not been updated since 1933. It has not changed much over the years and has no co-operative values within the law, which means co-operatives in Israel are co-ops by name only. They do not have to operate according to the co-op values and principles.”
Yifat Solel believes the new co-ops created within the last year are very different, because they are based upon social justice and co-operation. “Most of the old co-op movement is gone," she said. "Old co-operatives have de-mutualised. And many people within the few remaining co-ops are sceptic about the new wave of co-operatives. We just have to prove them wrong."
Miss Solel also said co-operatives could be a solution in addressing social-economic issues, not just in Israel, but also across the world: “It is the only thing that we can actually do without having to wait for anyone else to do it. It is very difficult to win on social-economic issues in the elections. The public thinks social issues are the important, but most of the political arena is either not interested, or not aware of them."
The new co-operative movement emerged as an initiative conducted by people of different backgrounds, from social workers to IT technicians to students, who are trying to "transform the protests into something concrete-through co-operative initiatives”.
“They are mostly young people, but not only. They are very dedicated to the cause, and they are creating an addition to the economy and society. All the new public initiatives are very rooted in the co-operative principles and the bylaws of the new co-operatives. People just go and start doing things, taking control on their issues, their interests, creating a civic-economic power,” Miss Solel added.
The movement has many other new initiatives and aims to open several more consumers’ co-ops, from restaurants and pubs to student co-operatives.
Picture (by Amit Zinman): Yifat Solel at the opening of the Bar-Kaima co-operative in Tel Aviv.
