"It's Concerning, People Living in the North and South Without Protected Rooms"

Sirens in Israel have already become a routine matter. In recent months, they are almost a part of our lives, at least in some areas of the country. However, it turns out that while many residents quickly run to fortified rooms during a siren, many people have no place to take shelter, leaving them exposed to danger without a means of protecting themselves.

In a study recently published by the 'Adva Center' and written by researchers Yaron Hoffman-Dishon and Max Grobman, they address the alarming phenomenon. According to them: "The people at risk are precisely those who belong to the weaker population groups - the elderly and those with limited economic means. No one is looking out for them, and it seems that if you are poor, your fate is sealed to be at risk."

Life-Threatening Danger

In a conversation with researcher Yaron Hoffman-Dishon, he wishes to clarify: "We entered the research with the known data – there is a very high percentage of people in the population who have no access to a protected area during an alarm. The State Comptroller released a significant report three years ago showing that about 28% of apartments in Israel lack protection, which means around 2.5 million residents have no access to protection at all – not a protected room in the apartment, not a private shelter in the building, nor a public shelter within the required travel speed.

"If we choose to look at the best protective means according to the Home Front Command, which is the fortified room, then it's only present in 38% of the population, while over 60% do not have one at home, and incidentally, some of these buildings are in fully exposed areas that, during the current war, suffer frequent missile attacks."

But Dr. Hoffman-Dishon's research is not meant to show Israel's inability to protect its citizens, but rather a matter just as concerning. "When examining the issue in depth, and trying to segment the population to check who lacks fortified rooms, it turns out the issue is indeed connected to the socio-economic aspect, and it's no coincidence," claims Hoffman-Dishon. "The upper deciles, according to our investigation, usually live in relatively new apartments, which means they are required to have a standard fortified room, and in strong neighborhoods that have invested in protective means and suitable infrastructures. As a result, the population with a lower standard of living, living in older apartments, is the one most dealing with the problem. This situation exists throughout the country, particularly in certain cities. For example, there is a large gap between protective means in neighborhoods in Jerusalem compared to other neighborhoods, and similarly in Tel Aviv, and additionally between different cities – for instance in cities like Ashdod or Beersheba, where the lower-income population resides conclusively in areas with fewer protective means and fortified rooms. It's sad to say, but it seems that in Israel, those who are poor are doomed to risk."

"A Solution Must Be Found"

Hoffman-Dishon notes that the reason they were prompted to write the position paper on the subject is that the 'Adva Center', under which they operate, always has the mission to examine inequality in social gaps in Israel, and in this context the government policy affecting the growth or reduction of these gaps. They deal extensively with housing prices for different populations, which led them to examine the issue during the war.

"A situation has arisen where residential areas with elderly people or large families who struggle greatly with evacuation to shelters are precisely the ones without protected rooms at home," he claims.

How do you explain that the state has not stepped up to take care of them?

"It's hard to say that the municipal authorities haven't complained, as most of these authorities, especially in the South, repeatedly approached various government agencies and requested discounts and convenient payment options. This is particularly evident in the north, as while in the area around Gaza the state invested in suitable programs and generally ensured the protection of most houses near the border, in the north this is completely absent, and these programs have been significantly delayed. When we reviewed the issue, we were horrified to see that until today not enough funding has been allocated and not enough has been built, leading to very significant protective gaps. One direct consequence is that 150,000 residents on the northern border are left without protection in the current war, and again – it mainly concerns the economically weaker population."

What do you suggest could be offered as a solution to this issue, considering it's a life-threatening situation?

"It is definitely a big danger, but currently, the way to protect other communities is only through urban renewal. That is, if I'm living in an apartment without protection, the only ways I can enable myself to build a fortified room are to do it privately, which is obviously very expensive, or to renew the whole building through Tama 38 – an urban renewal program, but even here there is a big failure, as our studies prove, this is a program that is hardly implemented in the periphery, due to lack of feasibility for contractors. In the bottom line – for years, a situation continues where people in the most sensitive areas of the country deal without fortified rooms or sufficient protective means."

Personally, does the situation concern you?

"Definitely. Moreover, I must mention that what personally drew me into this research is the familiarity with what's happening in Ashkelon, where residents have been living under rocket threat for years, and still not all houses are protected, without it seeming that the state is taking responsibility. Only last year, an administrative decision was made stating the state would invest money in subsidized loans or grants for fortified rooms for Ashkelon residents. But this year, a month and a half before the war broke out, that decision was canceled, and they returned to claiming that the only way to protect is through the municipal authority – using the solutions I mentioned. Unfortunately, reality proves clearly that if we wait for the residents themselves to fund the project or find someone to invest in it for some profit, it's simply not going to happen. My hope is that the right people will be found, or someone in the government will step up to take charge and advance the issue to full resolution."