As the Knesset Finance Committee prepares to hold a discussion on Tuesday about providing financial aid to restaurants in Sderot and the western Negev, whose business has suffered as a result of rocket fire from the Gaza Strip, the besieged restaurateurs are saying they don't want to be treated as objects of pity – they want Israel to address the problem of rocket fire from Gaza.
Two weeks ago, the Finance Committee held a fraught discussion about compensating owners of restaurants and hospitality businesses in Sderot and the western Negev. Some representatives of the business community there presented the committee with data that indicated a general collapse if they did not receive compensation for the business they lost during recent escalations of violence.
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"Everyone is fussing and pretending as if they're doing something, but actually nothing is happening, and you can see for yourself how empty my restaurant is," said Elraz Azran, 42, the owner of the Tovale café in Sderot.
"Last Friday, there were rocket barrages. I opened up on Saturday night. My workers came in, and for hours the café was empty except for one person. It's tremendous, ongoing financial damage. I'm not complaining about the residents. They're afraid to leave their homes, with good reason. And afraid for their kids. It's not only the Color Red alerts that scare them, it's also the Iron Dome interceptions," Azran said.
Yehuda Hazan, 56, who has owned Shawarma Hazan for over 20 years, discussed his current difficulties: "It's hard to run a restaurant in a situation like this. The people of Sderot like to go out to eat. But they're afraid, with good reason."
Yair Elbaz, 46, who owns a local pizzeria, is also suffering.
"I've seen my sales drop by over 50%. Even if the [Knesset] committee approves compensation, there will be more rockets tomorrow. We don't want money, we want a permanent solution, once and for all," he said.
The owner of an event venue claimed that he had lost hundreds of thousands of shekels because of cancellations.
One business owner who preferred to remain anonymous said, "There is this impression that we, the owners of restaurants and cafes and hospitality businesses, need the government to take pity on us. Not at all."
"We live in an area of war, we're attacked every day by rockets, and our living – especially our health – isn't in a good state. So it would be appropriate for the government to do one of two things: either find a solution to the problem, politically or militarily, or compensate all the business that are failing because of the rocket attacks," he said.
