Residents of southeast Tel Aviv neighborhoods are disappointed with the Supreme Court's decision to postpone the appeal requesting the establishment of public missile shelters. Although the court rejected the appeal, it acknowledged the significant disparities between the economically disadvantaged southeast neighborhoods and the rest of the city, emphasizing the need for the municipality to take appropriate action.
The recent rocket attacks on Tel Aviv, following a month of relative calm in the central region, once again highlight the risks faced by residents in these neighborhoods. In light of this, the residents of the southeast neighborhoods are now demanding that the municipality thoroughly assess the security situation in comparison to other areas of the city. They emphasize the importance of receiving adequate responses from the municipality to ensure the personal security of themselves and their children.
The Tel Aviv-Yafo municipality asserts that it is committed to continuously working in collaboration with the Homefront Command to bridge the gaps in public security within the city. Particularly since the start of the Swords of Iron War, the municipality has invested significant resources to improve security measures.
This includes the refurbishment of over 200 public shelters, regular inspections by the Homefront Command to ensure readiness, and engineering surveys of hundreds of underground parking lots to identify suitable locations for emergency shelters. Additionally, plans are underway to designate underground train stations as mass public shelters. The municipality has also allocated a budget of NIS 50 million to expand security areas in children's parks, which can double as public shelters.
'There are significant gaps between the southeast neighborhoods of the city and the rest of the neighborhoods in the city'
Regarding the Supreme Court's decision, a group representing local residents responded: "We are disappointed by the Supreme Court's decision to postpone the appeal. While the court did postpone the appeal, it specifically stated that there are significant gaps between the southeast neighborhoods and other neighborhoods in the city, and that the municipality must take appropriate action. The rockets fired at Tel Aviv yesterday after a month of calm, in the center of the country, once again highlight the danger faced by the residents of these neighborhoods.
The residents of the southeast neighborhoods now intend to demand from the municipality, according to what was stated in the decision, to examine the security situation compared to other areas in the city. "We will not give up until we receive the municipality's response regarding the protection of our personal security and that of our children," the residents stated.
The Tel Aviv-Yafo municipality stated that it is tirelessly working since the beginning of the war, in close cooperation with the Homefront Command, to improve public security gaps in the city, and that it will continue to assist residents during this difficult and complex period.