Border Guard (Israel)
The Israeli Border Guard ( Hebrew משמר הגבול Mischmar HaGvul , acronym of the official Hebrew name: Magav , Hebrew מג״ב) is a militarily organized guard of the State of Israel and has existed since 1953. Originally founded as a gendarmerie and division of the army , the border guard is now subordinate to the civil police . The main tasks include protecting the borders, maintaining public order, especially in Jerusalem and the West Bank , and fighting terrorism . In addition, the border guard also serves as an assistance force for the regular army.
Special forces
For the purpose of fighting terrorism, the border guards maintain several special units :
- JAMAM (anti-terror fight with a very high degree of risk), anti-terror and hostage rescue unit
- JAMAS ( covert counter-terrorism)
- MATILAN (intelligence service infiltration and defense unit)
- Unit 33 (Gideonim) Elite Secret Service
- JAGAL paramilitary counter-smuggling unit on the Lebanese border
- Joav and Horev anti-terrorist units against attacks on public transport
Mission profile
The Israeli border guard perceives a wide range of operations. The primary goal has always been the protection of the borders, whereby today this mainly focuses on the area around Jerusalem and the border with the Palestinian Autonomous Territories . This task developed from the original function as a gendarmerie within the framework of the regular army. Even today, the border guards serve as regular police in rural areas and in the West Bank.
The most important purpose today is the fight against terrorism. All border police officers receive regular basic training as infantrymen and then take part in special anti-terror and crowd and riot control training courses.
staff
The border guard consists of both professional police officers and conscript soldiers who do their army service with the border guard. The third mainstay are voluntary border police officers who voluntarily undertake to serve and work a certain number of hours per week.
Uniforms, weapons and equipment
The normal appearance of the border police is similar to that of army infantrymen. A metal police corps badge is attached to the beret. In contrast to the army, border police officers wear a corps badge on the upper arm of their field uniform. As standard, field police officers of the border guard are equipped with gray-green combat uniform , black combat boots and dark green berets . On patrol duty a ballistic vest and a carrying system.
Ordnance weapons for border police officers are the M16 assault rifle or the more modern M4 carbine . They are equipped with Tonfa batons for the security service.
Border policemen wear ballistic helmets during operations with an increased risk level, and in combat they wear mitznefet . Special units wear either black clothing, civilian clothing or various camouflage patterns. They are equipped with a range of different weapons and devices for special situations, including: a. the CAR 15 Colt Commando , the IMI Galil and various sniper rifles.
Vehicle fleet
The most widely used vehicle is the AIL Storm , a military armored variant of the Jeep Wrangler , from Israeli license production. They are to be replaced by Plasan Sand Cat in the near future .
A number of army vehicles and helicopters are also used in conjunction with regular army units.
Memorial and museum
The Memorial of the Fallen and the Central Museum of the Israeli Border Troops ("Border Police Memorial and Heritage Center") are located on the western foothills of the Carmel Mountains at the Iron Junction of National Road 65.
Web links
- Portrait of the Israeli Border Guard at the Ministry of Public Security (engl.)
Individual evidence
- ^ Rajendra Madhukar Abhyankar: West Asia and the Region: Defining India's Role . Academic Foundation, 2008, ISBN 978-81-7188-616-6 , p. 118.