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Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Sister City of Portland, Ashkelon, Faces Economic Woes

Nadene Goldfoot
Portland, Oregon's sister city is Ashkelon, Israel.  We think we have financial problems here.  Look at what Ashkelon has to contend with.

Being in the South of Israel, they have been the target of many missiles, rockets and mortars.  Security of bomb shelters is at a premium.

 Yair Farjoun, Ashkelon's Regional Council head commented in February of this year that just because they had a rocket attack without having any casualties or serious property damage doesn't mean they don't incur economic losses.  It disrupts life.  They don't go to work when this happens, but need to get into a safe place.  Children can't go to school.  Mothers don't go to work.

Ashkelon has a beach.  They have held festivals there.  They can't guarantee festival organizers that a rocket won't suddenly come down.  Most likely festivals that would book for there won't come.

The Knesset finance Committee talked about a Treasury proposal of compensation for citizens in the south who had to spend 4 days of intense rocket fire in early April in bomb shelters.  The problem is, the compensation isn't covering the people's losses.  They are only offering minimum wage.   It's a conundrum.

Some people think that it's nothing to sustain rocket fire from Gaza if no one is killed.  They don't think about all the headaches that come with the explosions and the obvious consequences.   Everyone in Israel is praying that the day will come when it will end.  Right now it looks like it will take the Messiah to do that, certainly not the planned peace talks that the head of state of Hamas refuses to attend.

Resource: Arutz Sheva www.israelnationalnews.com by Gabe Kahn  Ashkelon council:  State Compensation Insufficient 

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