Sderot Mayor David Buskila declared a hunger strike on Wednesday in protest of the government's lack of financial support of his town, which is crippled by debts amounting to millions of shekels.

Buskila is camped outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office in Jerusalem.

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In light of the escalation in the south, Buskila,56, told Ynet that he made sure Sderot's residents were complying with Home Front Command directives prior to going to Jerusalem.

Sderot is often plagued by Gaza terrorists' rocket fire. "I made sure people were safe. I can tell you that we were the only city among the Gaza vicinity communities that had over 80% attendance in schools today. This goes to speak of the resilience of the town I'm fighting for," he said.





Sderot city employees protesting

According to Buskila, his hunger strike is meant to draw attention to Sderot's dire financial situation, and the fact that it has so far received only 10% of the aid funds appropriated for it – NIS 7 million out of NIS 70 million (about $1.8 million out of $18 million).

"Despite the government's deafness, I believe the (ministers) will come to their senses before I reach my limit," he said.

The mayor stressed that he "Has no intention of using the security situation to apply pressure to solve our financial problems.

"The government should have done that a long time ago. We shouldn’t have to beg for funds that were promised to us," he said.

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