_a.jpg "Photo: Oz Mualem")
Peretz vs. Gaydamak: Will not allow philanthropic takeover
Initiative of billionaire Gaydamak to drive hundreds of Sderot residents to Eilat agitated Defense Minister Peretz: 'Israel will not allow philanthropists to take over distress of citizens.' Gaydamak to Ynet: 'When parents asked me to help- as a Jew it was my duty'
Recently the residents of Sderot have protested against the job Peretz is doing to fight the Qassams. This time Peretz chose to criticize the very person who came to help them when all other systems have failed.
"We will prepare an organized and coordinated plan in order to make life easy on the citizens so they won't have to knock on the doors of philanthropists," he said. "There must not be abandonment or running away. This plan must be conducted in an organized and coordinated manner."
Hundreds of children and parents have already arrived in Eilat in dozens of busses and were put up in hotels, where they will spend the next few days, away from the ongoing rocket fire on their city.
Gaydamak himself told Ynet in response to the attack that "Peretz is a minister and his job is mostly to talk. When the parents of students asked me to help their children - as a Jew it was my duty to do something. You can say many things, if it was good or not, but the parents care about their children and that is the most important thing. If the Defense Ministry can do it better than I can, I will be happy for him, but up until this morning many people asked for my help. Peretz can criticize me, maybe I didn't organize it well, but nobody joined the mission. Nobody did it."
Gaydamak also remembered the days of the war in Lebanon: "It's just like what happened then. At that time again the Defense Ministry built a beautiful tent area but it had one problem – it was ready two days after the war was over. They did good things, but if Jews ask for help, it was my duty to help."
Evelyn Benisti, 47, told Ynet about the drive south: "The atmosphere on the bus was good. We had a good time and forgot about the troubles. We don't know who Gaydamak is, but he did something amazing. If I had money I would have done the same."
Sderot residents in Eilat (Photo: Yossi Dos Santos)
The boarding of the bus was extremely chaotic because the demand to leave exceeded supply of spaces. At certain points the Sderot police could not control the crowd and had to close the entrances to the city hall area. After the busses left, there were several families who were left behind, but the representatives of Gaydamak said that there were more people than originally planned.
But despite the efforts, some of the residents of Sderot who looked for some relaxation found a big mess when some of the people who arrived with their own vehicles waited in the lobby for long hours.
Ahuva Mamos and shmulik Hadad contributed to this report
