Sderot Yeshiva head Rabbi David Fendel referred to the donation drive for his Yeshiva and to the yeshiva's influence on the city. He also referred to terrorist efforts to target Sderot.
"It won't help them. The Palestinians tried to turn this place into a ghost town and we are making it a town bustling with Torah. They tried to destroy but could not keep up with construction. They tried to destroy the spirit but it is indomitable. They sent rockets, we added another floor. They tried to make terror and the entire city is flourishing and more and more Torah is being built.
Fendel credits the Palestinians for enabling the yeshiva to leave its original caravans and build a stronger and more permanent building, due to the need for better protection from their attacks.