Police Commander Amichai Shai announced Tuesday that police officers in Sderot would not receive a pay raise due to the dangers they face from terrorist rocket attacks on the city.  Police had asked to be granted danger pay, as is given to officers on the northern border and in parts of the Galilee.  The extra pay would have been approximately NIS 2,000 per month.

Shai explained that the Finance Ministry turned down the request for a pay raise because it could lead to other requests.  If Sderot were defined as being among the most dangerous places in Israel, officials said, then nearby cities could ask for a similar status, and the government could be forced to grant a pay raise to all public sector workers within rocket range of Gaza.