Israel Matzav

Comrade Peretz stays home for the weekend

Defense Minister Amir Comrade Peretz, a resident of Sderot, is furious with Russian born billionaire Arcadi Gaydamak, who organized and paid for hundreds of Sderot residents to drive to Eilat, far away from the threat of Kassams.

Peretz said that Israel will not allow philanthropists and wealthy people to take over the distress of the citizens. "We will prepare an organized and coordinated plan in order to make life easy on the citizens so they won't have to knock on the doors of philanthropists," he said. "There must not be abandonment or running away. This plan must be conducted in an organized and coordinated manner."

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Gaydamak himself told Ynet in response to the attack that "Peretz is a minister and his job is mostly to talk. When the parents of students asked me to help their children - as a Jew it was my duty to do something. You can say many things, if it was good or not, but the parents care about their children and that is the most important thing. If the Defense Ministry can do it better than I can, I will be happy for him, but up until this morning many people asked for my help. Peretz can criticize me, maybe I didn't organize it well, but nobody joined the mission. Nobody did it." Gaydamak also remembered the days of the war in Lebanon: "It's just like what happened then. At that time again the Defense Ministry built a beautiful tent area but it had one problem – it was ready two days after the war was over. They did good things, but if Jews ask for help, it was my duty to help."

And would the last one out of Sderot please be so kind as to turn off the lights?

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 3:34 AM