http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/

My big question/gripe about the protests is "WHY NOW?" All I can think of is that the Left is upset about Likud and Netanyahu's rise in the polls. It's all politics. Following is the list of the most recent Israeli Housing Ministers:

Binyamin Ben-Eliezer Labor Party 25, 26 13/7/92 - 18/6/96
Benjamin Netanyahu Likud 27 18/6/96 - 6/7/99
Yitzhak Levy National Religious Party 28 6/7/99 - 12/7/00
Binyamin Ben-Eliezer One Israel 28 11/10/00 - 7/3/01
Natan Sharansky Yisrael BaAliyah 29 7/3/01 - 28/2/03
Effi Eitam National Religious Party 30 3/3/03 - 10/6/04
Tzipi Livni Likud* (She now heads the Kadima Party) 30 4/7/04 - 10/1/05 5
Isaac Herzog Labor Party 30 10/1/05 - 23/11/05
Ze'ev Boim Kadima 30 18/1/06 - 4/5/06
Meir Sheetrit Kadima 31 4/5/06 - 4/7/07
Ze'ev Boim Kadima 31 4/7/07 - 31/3/2009
Ariel Atias Shas 32 31/3/2009 - present
As you can well see from the list, during the past fifteen years the Likud has held the position less than any other major party. Actually, opposition Kadima had more opportunities than any other party to provide affordable public housing, but they failed to do so.

Another important point is that the protesters don't want housing "in the sticks." Public housing has always been built in areas in need of development, far from the center of town. Development towns in Israel were built up by providing affordable homes and new starts to immigrants and veterans. There is plenty of affordable housing outside of the major cities including communities in Judea and Samaria. In Shiloh you can buy a new private home for much less than a small, old and crumbling apartment in Jerusalem.