After three Gaza-fired rockets hit the Negev city of Sderot yesterday, calls began to be raised once again to fortify the local schools. MK Uri Ariel, head of the National Union/National Religious Party Knesset faction, said, "The government has done almost nothing to fortify the towns. I call upon the Prime Minister to immediately fortify the schools in the towns adjacent to Gaza." He said that the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee should convene urgently to advance the matter.
Within the government coalition, as well, MK Shai Hermesh (Kadima), a resident of the western Negev, said, "At least three educational complexes are located within the range of Kassam rockets. They should have been fortified at the same time as the evacuation from Gaza. Some of the educational institutions don't even have basic protection plans."
Shortly afterwards, in the afternoon hours, the Knesset Finance Committee announced that the required sum for the fortification of the classrooms had been found, and that work would begin right away.
However, Sderot resident Defense Minister Amir Peretz, visiting his hometown today, said that it was futile to believe to think that all the schools would be fortified by the beginning of the coming school year.
One of the three Kassams fired at Sderot Sunday morning scored a direct hit on a classroom in the Netiv Yeshivati branch of the local religious high school just as the students were coming up to the classroom. They had just completed their morning prayers and a slightly longer-than-usual post-prayers talk by principal Amit Orenbuch. The rocket struck as some of the students were waiting outside the classroom for someone to bring the key. No one was physically hurt, but several students were covered with dust. People in the school described it as a "clear miracle."
Peretz and his party colleague Education Minister Yuli Tamir toured the yeshiva high school this morning. They also met with Sderot Mayor Eli Moyal and other local municipal leaders, where Peretz said, "The idea that we will complete all the fortifications by next September appears to be completely imaginary."
Yesterday, Peretz was very forceful in saying that the schools would be protected.
Tamir said that the high school matriculation exams in English scheduled for today would take place as usual, but that the students of the rocketed school would receive extra time to complete them.
Sderot Mayor Eli Moyal announced yesterday that he could not protect the lives of the pupils studying in his town's schools, and that he was no longer responsible for them. He called on all the parents to act as they see fit.
Moyal also said that the real solution to the problem of Kassam attacks is to wipe out the Gaza city of Beit Hanoun. After a previous attack several weeks ago, Moyal said that the government should make sure that the schools in Gaza need to be fortified, not the ones in Sderot.
The IDF Homefront Command says that there is a standing regulation in the communities adjacent to Gaza not to have lessons in the top floor of school buildings, so as not to leave students vulnerable to a direct Kassam hit. The schools do not follow this guideline, however, Homefront Command sources say.
In response, one of the teachers, Shai S., told Arutz-7, "An order of that nature was given at the beginning of the year, but there aren't enough classrooms. The city wanted to spread out all the students and have them study in different schools, but the parents objected, and finally a permit was given to hold classes on the upper floor. As of now, we are expecting portable concrete classrooms to be delivered - the schoolyard gate has already been removed so that the truck can get through - but they haven't yet come; I don't know why."
He noted that when President Moshe Katzav visited Sderot last year, he wasn't allowed to visit the top floor of the municipal building - "even though it had a concrete roof, much stronger than what we have."
Within the government coalition, as well, MK Shai Hermesh (Kadima), a resident of the western Negev, said, "At least three educational complexes are located within the range of Kassam rockets. They should have been fortified at the same time as the evacuation from Gaza. Some of the educational institutions don't even have basic protection plans."
Shortly afterwards, in the afternoon hours, the Knesset Finance Committee announced that the required sum for the fortification of the classrooms had been found, and that work would begin right away.
However, Sderot resident Defense Minister Amir Peretz, visiting his hometown today, said that it was futile to believe to think that all the schools would be fortified by the beginning of the coming school year.
One of the three Kassams fired at Sderot Sunday morning scored a direct hit on a classroom in the Netiv Yeshivati branch of the local religious high school just as the students were coming up to the classroom. They had just completed their morning prayers and a slightly longer-than-usual post-prayers talk by principal Amit Orenbuch. The rocket struck as some of the students were waiting outside the classroom for someone to bring the key. No one was physically hurt, but several students were covered with dust. People in the school described it as a "clear miracle."
Peretz and his party colleague Education Minister Yuli Tamir toured the yeshiva high school this morning. They also met with Sderot Mayor Eli Moyal and other local municipal leaders, where Peretz said, "The idea that we will complete all the fortifications by next September appears to be completely imaginary."
Yesterday, Peretz was very forceful in saying that the schools would be protected.
Tamir said that the high school matriculation exams in English scheduled for today would take place as usual, but that the students of the rocketed school would receive extra time to complete them.
Sderot Mayor Eli Moyal announced yesterday that he could not protect the lives of the pupils studying in his town's schools, and that he was no longer responsible for them. He called on all the parents to act as they see fit.
Moyal also said that the real solution to the problem of Kassam attacks is to wipe out the Gaza city of Beit Hanoun. After a previous attack several weeks ago, Moyal said that the government should make sure that the schools in Gaza need to be fortified, not the ones in Sderot.
The IDF Homefront Command says that there is a standing regulation in the communities adjacent to Gaza not to have lessons in the top floor of school buildings, so as not to leave students vulnerable to a direct Kassam hit. The schools do not follow this guideline, however, Homefront Command sources say.
In response, one of the teachers, Shai S., told Arutz-7, "An order of that nature was given at the beginning of the year, but there aren't enough classrooms. The city wanted to spread out all the students and have them study in different schools, but the parents objected, and finally a permit was given to hold classes on the upper floor. As of now, we are expecting portable concrete classrooms to be delivered - the schoolyard gate has already been removed so that the truck can get through - but they haven't yet come; I don't know why."
He noted that when President Moshe Katzav visited Sderot last year, he wasn't allowed to visit the top floor of the municipal building - "even though it had a concrete roof, much stronger than what we have."