Ashkelon: Strike now – don't wait for next Qassam

VIDEO - One day after Tuesday's Qassam attack shook the southern town of Ashkelon, hitting the Ronson high school, students at the school slowly streamed in for summer courses, occasionally accompanied by hesitant parents. "It's important to preserve routine and this is the message that we passed on to the students, who are definitely protected. We are acting in accordance with all regulations," said Timora Shiri, the school's principal. Eighty to 100 students arrived at the school. Simultaneously, property managers worked hard to fix the small damages caused by the rocket. "Not all of the students came today," one of the students told Ynet. "You can tell that something is different, they're scared. The teacher gave us newspapers to read and talked to us, but it's still scary." Other students told of their worries and about how they will be forced to hide under the table during a Qassam attack. Just like her neighbor, Qassam-plagued Sderot, Ashkelon, too, is turning slowly into a destination for pilgrimages. MK Gilad Erdan (Likud), a resident of the city, came to visit Wednesday morning, as did two European Union representatives who photographed the school, but refused to reveal why. They only replied, "we're waiting for the World Cup game tonight," and fled the scene. The Way Forward Up to now, Mayor Roni Mehatzri has stuck religiously to his policy of vagueness regarding Qassams, out of fear for the city's image. But his friends on the city council think this is unwise. "A Qassam has already hit Ashkelon, and an ostrich-like policy doesn't serve us well in any way, but rather only hurts us in the end," said Oren Sheni, from the city administration. Similar things were heard more than once among members of the city council and senior city officials, who reason that the city should take advantage of the fact that it is the home of two government ministers - Abraham Dicter and Yitzhak Cohen - as well as a number of Knesset members. Mehatzri called a special meeting Wednesday, to which he invited various members of the defense establishment. One of the hot topics of the day is the status of various city events for the upcoming summer months, which were recently presented and are now in danger of not happening at all. Before the meeting, Mehatzri will meet with Homefront Command Chief Maj. Gen. Itzhak Gershon, who will visit Ashkelon to discuss security deployment. Defense Minister Amir Peretz spoke with Mehatzri and told him that the Israel Defense Forces will continue to act in order to try and defeat the Qassam launching from the Gaza Strip. Business as usual? The city municipality is trying to create the impression of "business as usual" but there are some who think that this is a mistake. "They need to stop work in the city and start fighting now, not to wait for the next Qassam rockets. Now is the time," said city council member Prosper Vaknin. Many meetings are taking place concurrently in the municipality, including among the education administration, to try and consolidate a clear and consistent policy. It is in one such meeting that the topic of the "Red Dawn" missile warning system, which exists in Ashkelon but has not been activated, will be discussed. Among police and other defense sources, there are those who think that the system should be activated, but opponents to this idea, among them the mayor himself, claim that the panic created by such activation will lead to more damage. In the past, a senior officer from the Homefront Command claimed that the unwillingness to activate the system stemmed from political considerations, a claim that inflamed Mehatzri. Summer in the City It seems that summer vacation and the beach are having an effect. In Roja Hatab's café, in the midst of the city's pedestrian mall, the atmosphere is calm, deceivingly so. "People read newspapers and drink coffee, but it's clear that everyone is talking only of one thing: the Qassam," Roja says. According to him, "the fear can be felt. People talk of the implications, of a decrease in property value and of the recession that will probably follow. The situation in Ashkelon is tough as it is. It's not simple." Also, in the café, the respected soloist of the Andalusian band, Emil Zrihan, sits and laughs. "There's no doubt that behind the laughter, there is fear," says one of the café regulars. The effect of the Qassam can be felt also at the beach, and the lifeguards have observed the decreased number of bathers. "Granted, today the sea is tumultuous and there are lots of jellyfish, but people are definitely hesitant to come out. You can feel it and some of them even say it. The jellyfish and the rocky waves are just as excuse. People are afraid," said one lifeguard, Stefano.

Ashkelon: Strike now – don't wait for next Qassam

(VIDEO) Southern city's residents concerned with Qassam that hit Ronson high school Tuesday; members of city council call for fight, say 'ostrich-like policy only hurts us'. Mayor to call special meeting to discuss option to activate Red Dawn alert system