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Israel\'s domestic economy is dominated by ~10 family-controlled conglomerates that together control banks, supermarkets, food, telecom, insurance, and energy. Tnuva (dairy, ~70%), Strauss (snacks, coffee), Osem (pasta, instant), the Wertheimer family (IMI), the Tshuva family (Delek/gas/Nobel Energy), Ofer Holdings (real estate). The 2011 Cottage Cheese protests were aimed at this structure. The 2013 "Concentration Law" tried to break it up. Slowly progressing.
Cultural note, Most Israelis can name the controlling families of major conglomerates the way Americans know who runs Disney. The phrase "מִשְׁפָּחוֹת בַּעֲלֵי הַהוֹן", "the controlling-capital families", appears in news constantly. Sharon vs. the "tycoonim" was a 2003 reform episode; Lapid vs. the food monopoly was 2014; the 2011 Cottage Cheese boycott (~600K Israelis on Facebook in 6 weeks) is the modern reference point.
The Big Families & Holdings
Major Domestic Brands
Concentration Issues
Supermarkets & Retail
Telecom & Cable
The Cottage Cheese Boycott: Facebook Post, June 2011
A typical viral post that triggered the 2011 boycott. Cottage cheese had risen from ~5 NIS to ~8 NIS over a few years. Within 6 weeks, 600K Israelis joined the boycott. Tnuva\'s sales dropped 40%. Prices rolled back.
Newspaper Headline: Concentration Law Coverage
Sample of business-page Hebrew about anti-concentration efforts. The 2013 law forced major holding companies to choose: financial OR real, not both. Took 5+ years to implement.