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| Sderot mayor protesting outside PM's office (Gil Yohanan) |
Source: YNet News
By Neri Brenner
It has been four days since Sderot Mayor David Buskila declared a hunger strike in protest of the government's lack of financial support of his town, which is crippled by debts amounting to millions of shekels.
Buskila on Saturday told Ynet that he hopes that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not let his situation deteriorate.
Buskila began his hunger strike on Wednesday, and since then has been camped outside the prime minister's office in Jerusalem. Ministers and Knesset members have been been to visit Buskila, but have yet to find a solution to the town's crisis.
According to Buskila, his hunger strike is meant to draw attention to Sderot's dire financial situation, and the fact that it has so far received only 10% of the aid funds appropriated for it – NIS 7 million out of NIS 70 million (about $1.8 million out of $18 million).
"This is the fourth day of my hunger strike and the seventh day of the workers' strike in Sderot – Every additional day is unnecessary," said Buskila.
"I hope that on Sunday, the government will find a solution to this problem. I hope the ministers won’t allow the situation in Sderot to worsen," he added.
Meanwhile, Sderot residents have decided to push the town's struggle forward, and join the mayor in Jerusalem. If their efforts do not succeed, they intend to erect tents in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, where they will temporarily reside in.
"The residents of Sderot deserve to receive state-provided services like any other citizen in this country," Buskila said.
