The Knesset Finance Committee is delaying approval for expanding the defense budget to cover costs of the Lebanon war until sufficient funds are earmarked for reinforcing schools in Sderot against Qassam rocket strikes.

Finance Ministry officials asked the committee yesterday to reallocate NIS 1.5 billion from the budgets of various ministries to the Defense Ministry.

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Committee Chairman Yacov Litzman (United Torah Judaism) denied the request, conditioning the approval on the allotment of NIS 100 million for reinforcing Sderot schools.

In an earlier hearing yesterday, the committee heard testimony from Israel Defense Forces GOC Home Front Command Maj.-Gen. Yitzhak Gershon, who told the committee that NIS 285 million was spent during 2005-6 on reinforcing schools. Gershon also said an additional NIS 144 million is needed to fortify rooms such as gymnasiums and teachers' lounges. Gershon said the decision not to fortify such rooms was made by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

Nonetheless, Olmert has ordered the reinforcement of schools in border communities to continue in the coming weeks.

Gershon added that 12 Sderot schools have been reinforced, including 10 elementary schools, and the reinforcement of two additional schools will be completed by the end of the month.

Outside of Sderot, five schools have been reinforced and work on four more will be completed by the end of December. Out of 151 area kindergartens, 56 have been reinforced, and an additional 70 will be ready by March 2007.

Likud MK Reuven Rivlin demanded the Home Front Command also complete the reinforcement of Sderot residential buildings, saying he witnessed first-hand what residents are going through during a visit to the town one month ago. Rivlin said kids are unable to sleep at night.