Israel Matzav

IDF training civilians to respond to Hezbullah terror

The IDF is training civilians 'rapid response' teams - and equipping them with M-16 rifles and bulletproof vests among other things - to counter the threat of Hezbullah terrorists trying to infiltrate border communities and kill civilians.

The IDF has trained civilian rapid-response teams in the communities and provided them with new equipment, including M-16 rifles, bulletproof vests, helmets and communication devices. The teams have undergone special training sessions at the IDF's Elyakim training base in the Lower Galilee, as well as inside the communities themselves.

The assessment within the defense establishment is that Hizbullah, if it decides to attack Israel, will not kidnap a soldier as it did on July 12, 2006, when in a cross-border raid it abducted IDF reservists Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser, but will instead try to infiltrate border communities with the goal of killing civilians.

The motivation for such an attack, defense officials said, could be the February 2008 assassination in Damascus of Hizbullah military chief Imad Mughniyeh, which was attributed to Israel. Hizbullah's frustration at having failed as yet to perpetrate attacks against Israeli targets abroad has led to Israeli concern the group will decide to launch a retaliatory attack against the northern border, which would be operationally easier.

The rapid response team concept already exists in many of the Jewish towns in Judea and Samaria and has for many years. Some of the rapid response teams have performed heroically and have prevented or minimized terror attacks.

Can you imagine any other country in the world where civilians roam the streets with automatic rifles and bulletproof vests, yet the murder rate is much lower (if you exclude terror attacks) than it is in most countries in the West? Mi k'amcha Yisrael - who is like Your people Israel?

It's a shame that most of the world won't even take notice.

The picture is from the Yeshivat Mercaz HaRav terror attack that happened here in Jerusalem in March 2008.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:47 AM