As part of the activities at the “Decisive Victory” protest encampment set up by wounded war veterans outside the Knesset, Sderot Mayor Alon Davidi visited the encampment today (Monday) to thank the injured soldiers and join their call for a decisive outcome in the war.
During his visit, Davidi expressed deep gratitude and solidarity with the veterans and emphasized the long-standing suffering of Sderot’s residents due to decades of terror. He called for a complete defeat of Hamas, rejecting any form of agreement or compromise. He also thanked the wounded and their fellow fighters, saying that thanks to them, the city’s residents were able to return to their homes.
"I’m here first and foremost to say thank you," Davidi began.
"There are very special people here, and above all, I want to tell you - every home purchased in Sderot, every child who grows up in the city, lives with a deep sense of indebtedness to you. We live this reality every single day. The State of Israel often talks about Gaza from a distance, but we live it up close. Twenty-five years of terror, tens of thousands of rockets, injuries, deaths - and it all continued until the terrible day of October 7, which exposed the depth of the failure and the pain."
He stressed that residents of Sderot returned to their city in the midst of the war out of a sense of mission and love for the land, but also with a sense that the state owes them.
"We came back in March 2024, not only out of great love for the city and the country, but with a promissory note - the State of Israel owes us two things: to bring back the hostages and to fundamentally change the security reality. No deal and no withdrawal will bring that about. Anyone who imagines a deal with Hamas, or believes the organization will continue to rule without uniforms, simply does not understand the reality."
Referring to the 20th anniversary of the Gaza disengagement, Davidi criticized its architects as irresponsible: "This is a week of remembering a terrible mistake. They promised us security and a new Middle East - we got rockets and terrorists in the streets. The same people who now argue that Hamas can’t be defeated are the ones who supported the disengagement back then. We need to defeat Hamas. This isn’t a right or left issue - it’s our duty to those who fell, to those who were wounded, to those who are still fighting."
In closing, he addressed the wounded soldiers and the general public: "We love you. Every breath we take in Sderot is filled with gratitude for the sacrifice you made. I call on everyone to come on Wednesday to the march leaving from Tzohar Tzedek at 5:00 p.m. to raise a clear voice: The people of Israel will win. We are part of history, and we will be part of the victory."
The visit took place as part of the protest activities led by wounded veterans outside the Knesset. The encampment is expected to remain until Wednesday and will include participation from hostage families, bereaved families, combat soldiers, and various public figures.
At the opening of the encampment, the wounded veterans issued a public statement calling on decision-makers to bring the war to a decisive conclusion:
"We are saying this loud and clear: the war in Gaza must end with victory over Hamas. If you can’t deliver that victory - step down," they declared.
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