Sderot schools to open with no protection from rockets - Haaretz

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Fri., August 24, 2007 Elul 10, 5767

Israel Time: 07:06 (EST+7)

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		Preparations for the new school year in Sderot on Sunday. (Limor Edrey)

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Last update - 08:44 20/08/2007

Sderot schools to open with no protection from rockets

By Mijal Grinberg and Yuval Yoaz, Haaretz Correspondents

Thousands of students in communities near the Gaza Strip will begin the school year in another 12 days in classrooms that are not fully protected against rocket attacks, despite the High Court of Justice's order that the government reinforce every classroom in rocket range of Gaza by September 1.

Last week, the state submitted a new proposal to the court, under which the work of reinforcing the schools would begin, but students would continue to learn in the unprotected schools in the meantime.

The court is due to rule on this proposal in the coming days. However, Education Ministry Director General Shmuel Abuav told Haaretz that his ministry has prepared no alternatives should the court reject the proposal.

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Last year, some 7,500 students studied in 24 schools within rocket range of Gaza, including 14 schools in Sderot and 10 in smaller Negev communities. Under the government's proposal, seven of these 24 schools would be fully reinforced by about mid-October, but the others would be replaced by 13 new schools, whose construction would be finished only in 2010.

In May, the court ruled that the existing system of protecting Gaza-area schools - under which only certain rooms were reinforced, and students had to run to these rooms if a rocket was launched - was so unreasonable as to be illegal.

In their ruling, issued in response to a petition by the Sderot Parents Committee, the justices said that the 15 seconds that elapse from the moment the warning siren sounds to the moment the rocket hits were insufficient for all students to reach a protected area. Moreover, the siren sometimes fails to go off. They therefore ordered the government to reinforce every classroom in the Gaza area by the start of the coming school year.

The state then requested a rehearing by an expanded panel of justices, arguing that it was not physically possible to reinforce every classroom by September 1, and in any case, it was not the court's job to decide how the government should protect its citizens from rocket attacks. The court rejected the latter argument, but it agreed to reconsider the September 1 deadline. The state's latest proposal was submitted in advance of the rehearing on this issue.

In its proposal, the government explained that it would be cheaper to build new schools than to fully reinforce some of the existing ones. It therefore wants to reinforce only seven of the existing schools, while funneling students from the other 17 into 13 new schools.

The parents and the Gaza-area municipalities had argued that if schools could not be reinforced by September 1, the students should be bused to other Negev schools that are outside rocket range of Gaza.

However, the state rejected this idea, saying that according to the Israel Defense Forces, the students would be in more danger while waiting for a bus to their temporary schools than they would be learning in their current schools. Moreover, it argued, evacuating students from Gaza-area communities would send the wrong message.

The ruling that all classrooms be reinforced by September 1 "creates insurmountable difficulties" and is simply "not doable," the government's brief said. "Given the complexity of the project, there is no choice but to implement it in stages, gradually, since implementation cannot precede completion of the planning stages."

However, the Sderot Parents Committee on Sunday threatened that it would not allow the school year to open unless the government dropped the idea of merging four of the town's elementary schools into two, as merging the schools would harm the quality of the students' education.

Council heads: No funds to fortify Gaza-area homes

There is no money for reinforcing houses in communities near the Gaza Strip in the proposed 2008 state budget, Sderot Mayor Eli Moyal and the heads of four Gaza-area regional councils charged in an angry letter to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert last week.

Olmert had met with them in January and promised to reinforce Gaza-area homes in the coming year. A few months later, businessman Arcadi Gaydamak offered to finance the reinforcement of Sderot himself; two days after that, the Prime Minister's Office declared that a government project to do so had just been launched.

The project began with a Construction and Housing Ministry survey of the needs and the expected costs. According to sources involved in the survey, its conclusion was that the reinforcement would cost over NIS 1 billion ¬ just as the Israel Defense Forces' Home Front Command had previously estimated.

A few months ago, Construction and Housing Ministry officials told Haaretz that a tender for the reinforcements would be issued in the coming weeks. However, this did not occur.

In response to the mayors' letter, the Prime Minister's Office said that the Construction and Housing Ministry was currently planning the reinforcement project, including priorities for what should be reinforced first, and when finished, the plan would be brought before the cabinet for approval.

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1.	The dispute is caused by Kadima`s refusal to end arabs occupation	04:45	\|	Joseph E .	20/08/07

2.	The surrender process continues	05:17	\|	Born In The USA	20/08/07

3.	The necessary protection	06:02	\|	Mark Lincoln	20/08/07

4.	To Mark Lincoln	07:30	\|	dovale	20/08/07

5.	The dispute is caused by Kadima`s refusal to end Israeli	07:33	\|	steve	20/08/07

6.	Judge Omlert but his actions, or lack thereof	07:40	\|	Gili	20/08/07

7.	No protection for schools	08:07	\|	Vera	20/08/07

8.	No need to reinvent the wheel	08:31	\|	Natallie Durson	20/08/07

9.	#4, dovale	09:18	\|	Cipora Julianna Kohn	20/08/07

10.	#8 Natallie Durson AKA Doris	09:20	\|	Tony	20/08/07

11.	NDURSON No need to reinvent the wheel.Hamas plans are public	09:22	\|	PETER SM	20/08/07

12.	#3, Mark Lincoln	09:26	\|	Cipora Julianna Kohn	20/08/07

13.	No need to reinvent the wheel	09:36	\|	Henry	20/08/07

14.	hamas controls gazaa	09:42	\|	john	20/08/07

15.	REMOVE SDEROT	10:32	\|	indrajaya	20/08/07

16.	Gross negligence or looking for a pretext?	10:40	\|	Yonatan	20/08/07

17.	#2 the ultimate deterrent is to remove all arabs within firing ra	10:44	\|	victor hardman	20/08/07

18.	#8 Extremely poor taste Durson	11:06	\|	Margie in Tel Aviv	20/08/07

19.	To Indrajaya from the democratic state of Indonesia	11:13	\|	dovale	20/08/07

20.	High Court blocks the real solution	11:13	\|	Moshe	20/08/07

21.	Make the best out of computors!	11:17	\|	Alicia	20/08/07

22.	to #15 indrajaya	11:23	\|	Lavy	20/08/07

23.	A government that does not protect its youngest...	11:25	\|	Sebastian	20/08/07

24.	A government that does not protect its youngest...	11:25	\|	Sebastian	20/08/07

25.	Easy answer.	11:29	\|	Lavy	20/08/07

26.	to Dovale, Lavy	11:37	\|	indrajaya	20/08/07

27.	Switch MK`s to Sderot schools, and Sderot school kids to Knesset	11:48	\|	Nili	20/08/07

28.	Read Akiva: "Give them the Temple Mount"	12:11	\|	Sharif Hafez	20/08/07

29.	For Olmert and his cohorts children of Sderot are expendable	12:19	\|	Stan	20/08/07

30.	To Indrajaya from the democratic state of Indonesia	12:21	\|	dovale	20/08/07

31.	Yet another traversty against the rule of law in Israel	12:37	\|	Fairplay	20/08/07

32.	#28 Sharif: Read Koran: Treaty of Hudaybiyya with Quraish	13:12	\|	Nili	20/08/07

33.	REMOVE INDRAJAYA	13:23	\|	Avram	20/08/07

34.	Mark Lincoln - what`s so confussing to you?	13:31	\|	Avram	20/08/07

35.	Natalie Durson and why we need our country	13:35	\|	ka	20/08/07

36.	To Indrajaya - I second dovale`s question	13:36	\|	Yonatan	20/08/07

37.	Natallie D.	13:36	\|	Avram	20/08/07

38.	I challenge Israeli`s to unite on this one!	13:41	\|	Avram	20/08/07

39.	Olmert the fool	14:14	\|	Willy	20/08/07

40.	Give them their own" Qassams"	14:17	\|	Benny	20/08/07

41.	indrajaya.Keep up the Qassems & do not worry	14:29	\|	PETER SM	20/08/07

42.	So far, Indrajaya has not answered	14:51	\|	Yonatan	20/08/07

43.	# 32 Please read history, since u seem to repeat junk!	14:54	\|	Sharif Hafez	20/08/07

44.	Tell Hamas that electricity cut for one day for each Qassam	14:58	\|	The Equalizer	20/08/07

45.	# 32 + Haaretz: Hi u Israeli democracy!	15:17	\|	Sharif Hafez	20/08/07

46.	To Avram # 33	15:29	\|	indrajaya	20/08/07

47.	to DOVALE	15:31	\|	indrajaya	20/08/07

48.	I thought Israel owned the patriot missile	15:46	\|	Chris Linthwaite	20/08/07

49.	It amazes me that...	15:47	\|	Walter	20/08/07

50.	YONATAN @36What do you care what the shouter for the Arabs thinks	15:50	\|	PETER SM	20/08/07

51.	More Predictable Durson Dreck	16:15	\|	Bill Foonman	20/08/07

52.	Forget The Reinforcement Of Sderot Schools - Remove The Problem!	16:21	\|	Bill Foonman	20/08/07

53.	Cipora	16:33	\|	Mark Lincoln	20/08/07

54.	A third possibiity Yonatan	16:34	\|	Mark Lincoln	20/08/07

55.	Avram - what confuses me	16:40	\|	Mark Lincoln	20/08/07

56.	KA in Israel	17:12	\|	CHGODMK	20/08/07

57.	No Money because Olmert gives Money to his HONEY Abbas-Millions$$	18:31	\|	Linda Rivera	20/08/07

58.	There must be JUSTICE. The Knesset Must Move to Sderot	18:34	\|	Linda Rivera	20/08/07

59.	I don`t give a damn about Sderot!	18:46	\|	Ehud OldMerde	20/08/07

60.	#56	19:33	\|	ka	20/08/07

61.	Sharif hafez	19:47	\|	ka	20/08/07

62.	There must be JUSTICE. The Knesset Must Move to Sderot	20:00	\|	Mark Lincoln	20/08/07

63.	#25 Lavy - terrorism not the answer	20:02	\|	Rick	20/08/07

64.	Linthwaite	20:30	\|	Jasmine Murphy	20/08/07

65.	#53, Mark Lincoln	20:38	\|	Cipora Julianna Kohn	20/08/07

66.	Schools	21:38	\|	P. J. Casey	20/08/07

67.	A disgrace	21:56	\|	Dr David I. Gross	20/08/07

68.	#64 Jasmine Murphy	22:06	\|	Chis Linthwaite	20/08/07

69.	You just don`t understand the physics Cipora	22:22	\|	Mark Lincoln	20/08/07

70.	Protecting the schools	22:30	\|	Mark Lincoln	20/08/07

71.	Doctor Gross	22:33	\|	Mark Lincoln	20/08/07

72.	#15 Remove sderot or northern gaza ?	22:35	\|	duncan	20/08/07

73.	ka	22:37	\|	CHGODMK	20/08/07

74.	#65 Cipora Julianna Kohn	22:38	\|	Chris Linthwaite	20/08/07

75.	#48 linthwaite	22:44	\|	duncan	20/08/07

76.	#26 no israel = no ..	22:48	\|	duncan	20/08/07

77.	CEMETARY SHOULD BE BUILT NEAR SHARONS HOSPITAL	23:27	\|	PalestiniansAreAMyth	20/08/07

78.	#69, Chris Linthwaite	23:52	\|	Cipora Julianna Kohn	20/08/07

79.	#68 explanation	23:53	\|	ka	20/08/07

80.	Indrayoyo	00:05	\|	Larry	21/08/07

81.	Mark Lincoln	00:09	\|	Larry	21/08/07

82.	#67, Dr. David Gross	00:37	\|	Silvienne	21/08/07

83.	#69, Chris Linthwaite	00:38	\|	Silvienne	21/08/07

84.	Chris Lintwaite - perhaps	00:46	\|	Mark Lincoln	21/08/07

85.	#73 Silvienne	00:54	\|	Chris Linthwaite	21/08/07

86.	Where are all the posts?	00:56	\|	Yuval Yoaz	21/08/07

87.	#77 Mark Lincoln	01:10	\|	Chris Linthwaite	21/08/07

88.	#85, Chris Linthwaite	01:28	\|	Silvienne	21/08/07

89.	#87, Chris Linthwaite	01:30	\|	Silvienne	21/08/07

90.	#89 Silvienne Thats an idea	02:02	\|	Chrislinthwaite	21/08/07

91.	#78 Sorry wasn`t ignoring you	02:05	\|	Chris Linthwaite	21/08/07

92.	Yuval Yoaz, that was delightful!	02:14	\|	Silvienne	21/08/07

93.	#52, Bill Foonman, don`t run for president, will you?	02:17	\|	Silvienne	21/08/07

94.	Yonathan/Peter SM	08:57	\|	indrajaya	21/08/07

95.	#80 Larry	09:02	\|	indrajaya	21/08/07

96.	reassurance israel needs,justice palestinians need	09:22	\|	ata Mohammed khan	21/08/07

97.	Mark - Marl- Mark = When will you ever learn.	06:23	\|	Dr David I. Gross	23/08/07

98.	Silvienne	06:38	\|	Dr David I. Gross	24/08/07

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