According to the government-appointed committee evaluating nationwide earthquake preparedness in Israel headed by Dr. Avi Shapira, 1,500 schools are classified at “high risk” in the event of a major earthquake.

Shapira feels the government must address this, but he cited two schools at particular risk, both located in Tzfas. As a result of his warning, the two schools are being relocated. The information was released during a meeting on Monday, 24 Cheshvan 5774 in a session of the Knesset Foreign Affairs & Defense Committee Subcommittee for Earthquake Preparedness. That committee is chaired by MK Eli Yishai. Yishai convened the session following a number of earthquakes in northern Israel last week. Those quakes left the experts predicting 7,000 fatalities chas v’sholom in the event of a major earthquake.

Dr. Shapira told committee members that there are 100,000 buildings in Israel today that are not capable of withstanding an earthquake. He called for immediate action to begin strengthening those buildings – to bring them to compliance with today’s building code for earthquake preparedness, the government’s Tama 38 Plan.

Dr. Shapira concluded by telling committee members the experts are in agreement, that a major earthquake or tsunami is due to hit “and it is not a matter of if but when”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)