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Hundreds march to remember Israeli protester who set himself aflame

Hundreds march to remember Israeli protester who set himself aflame

Hundreds of Israelis marched in Tel Aviv Saturday night, in memory of a demonstrator who died in hospital Friday afternoon, six days after he set himself on fire during a protest against the high cost of living in Israel.

Similar marches were also being held in other cities, including Jerusalem and the northern port city of Haifa.

In Tel Aviv, protesters gathered outside the offices of the Amidar public housing company on King Saul Boulevard to march several hundred metres to the spot where Moshe Silman doused himself with flammable liquid and set his himself on fire July 14.

"We are all Moshe Silman," read graffiti scrawled in the road.

Silman, who was in his late 50s, sustained third-degree burns to at least 80 per cent per cent of his body.

The resident of the northern city of Haifa had recently suffered a stroke, and was unable to work. Despite being recognized as 100-per-cent disabled by the National Insurance Institute, he received only 2,300 shekels (574 dollars) a month in state benefits and had recently been told he was not eligible for government housing.