Bomb shelter in Tiberias
צילום: חגי אהרון
'Israel not ready for another war'
Local authorities warn numerous bomb shelters still require major renovations to allow for lengthy stays but say funding insufficient
Local municipality official Pini Kabalo warned on Tuesday that the funds allotted for the preparation of bomb shelters for lengthy stays were insufficient. Speaking at a discussion centering on the implementation of conclusions detailed in State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss' report regarding the mis-management of the home front during the Second Lebanon War.
"I can't say that a revolution has taken place, preparing us for another war and lengthy stays in our bomb shelters. We have barely achieved five or 10% of what the State comptroller demanded. The little that has been done is enough for a short stay of 24 hours in the shelters," Kabalo said.
He also complained about the lack of funds distributed for the purpose of upgrading the shelters. He remarked that without the State's help not much could be done, because even the small amount allotted to the local authorities to prepare themselves for a state of emergency has been committed to other sectors apart from the failing shelters.
'There is much to be done'
David Ben-Yemini, an official from the prime minister's office, denied Kabalo's claims. He insisted that the shelters appear different than they did during the war. According to Ben-Yemini, 5,000 shelters in the north of Israel will have been upgraded by June or July of this year and now have ceramic floors and water heaters.
However, Ben-Yemini had difficulty clarifying the meaning of the term 'lengthy stay' in the shelters, claiming the comptroller's report did not state an exact amount of time. In any case, other local authority officials have claimed that 15 thousand shelters in the center of Israel have not been touched. "We know there is much to be done, and it will cost hundreds of millions of shekels," Ben-Yemini admitted.
Representatives of local authorities and the State agree that the level of awareness among local officials has improved, as well as the emergency operation centers, however many officials still claim that the authorities have not been tested as to whether or not they can function in the event of another war.
