Israel Matzav

10 more Kassams hit western Negev; School closings and evacuations in Sderot

At least ten more Kassam rockets hit the western Negev today, with one of them scoring a direct hit on a house in Sderot. Fortunately, there have been no further injuries since last night.

Meanwhile the schools in Sderot are closed today and Russian billionaire Arkady Gaydamak has once again stepped in to do what the government should be doing: He's getting people out of Sderot:

Gaydamak received a letter on behalf of Sderot’s residents on Tuesday, requesting that they be evacuated from the town.

The billionaire responded to the letter by sending eight buses to the town, in order to take residents out of harm’s way to hotels in Beer Sheva and Ashdod; he also pledged to aide in the fortification of homes in the town.

Batia Katar, head of Sderot's local parent committee, told Ynet that residents continued to sign up for a space in the buses in order to be evacuated as soon as possible. Families with children are the first to be evacuated.

“Everyone says they are grateful to Gaydamak, but that the State of Israel should have done this,” Katar said, “People want to overthrow the government because of the disgrace they are experiencing.”

Gaydamak said he felt an obligation to help upon receiving the letter. He also explained his intention to fortify homes in Sderot.

“We are negotiating with a big construction company, which already offered the government to carry out a project for fortifying homes in Sderot several months ago, but it was not carried out,” he said.

“I don’t work in the government, and I don’t know what they’re supposed to do or not. I just know that I am obligated to act on behalf of Jews, and I am,” he said.

Bnei Akiva also took 250 new Ethiopian immigrants for a 'day of fun' at a Jerusalem area Kibbutz.

What the government ought to do is to move all the women and children and non-able-bodied men out of Sderot until they can guarantee their safety and garrison an army battalion or two in town instead. Of course, if they did that, the government would actually have to take action if the 'Palestinians' continue to shoot (not to mention that it would be yet another admission that the Gaza expulsion failed) and we know that the government doesn't want to do that.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 5:49 PM