Ashdod is considered the nation’s wealthiest city, winding down last year with a 27 million NIS surplus. The sum of a half billion NIS has just been approved for the city to renovate academic campuses and to purchase computers for schools and for the construction of a recreational center.

The growing chareidi tzibur in the city questions the spending, citing their community receives disproportionately small amounts of funding. The daily HaMevaser reports that the Rova Zayin area has 5,000 children in mosdos, most learning in dilapidated caravan structures while in non-chareidi areas of the city, state-of-the-art centers are constructed alongside existing school buildings.

They add that 3,500 of the 5,000 chareidi students are not in running proximity of a shelter to protect them in the event of a rocket attack from Gaza, and the 8 million NIS being allocated for the recreational center would be better spent to provide shelter for the thousands of chareidi children currently living at risk of injury or worse in rocket attacks.

To date, Ashdod City Hall has opposed the placement of portable shelters in the Rova Zayin area since officials feel this does not address the citywide needs regarding rocket attacks.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)