From support stage to criticism stage, "you abandoned us"

This morning, Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Eli Yishai, Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz and Minister of the home front, Avi Dichter, arrived in Sderot to meet with leaders of local government center.

To the Ministers' surprise, the main message they heard was: "You abandoned us."

"The Local Government Center took out of the fire boundaries thousands of students to the days of refreshment outside the fire zone, without the support of one shekel from the state - and moreover, under the restrictions of the state that prevents robust authorities which wish to help authorities in an emergency situation, this is simply the height of stupidity," said Chairman of the Security and Emergency in the Local Government Center and head of the Beit Aryeh council, Avi Naim.

"The HFC sought to establish municipal rescue units all designed to help in an emergency. This comes to a budget of 5 million NIS which the Ministry of Finance has not yet budgeted and as of this moment, the subject is stuck."

At the meeting, Naim raised serious allegations against the state in which mayors are dealing alone with regard to emergencies, even at moments when their settlement is under fire. "Security officers of local authorities are fully funded by the local authority without state support. This is nusual and different, for example, in contrast to security officers of educational institutions funded by mutual funding of the state and local authorities. Resistance of the state means heavy burden directly on the authorities, especially those under fire ".

Naim finished and stressed: "We, heads of councils in general, and especially in the south, are already aware that there is going to be a significant blow at balance grants. These grants these are means of rehabilitation. One should not hurt them. One should not only declare their support for municipalities of the south, but should also help them in practice".

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!