Counter-Terrorism in Israel

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Armored blasting container of the anti-terrorist unit for objects suspected of being explosive; here: at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem .
Suicide bomber arrested by the anti-terrorist unit in Gaza. On the left of the picture his explosives belt.

For counter-terrorism in Israel who have Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), a number of special units formed.

background

The Israeli Embassy in Berlin reports that between the Jewish New Year (September 13, 2015) and April 22, 2018, 65 civilians were killed in terrorist attacks , including a Palestinian , two Americans , an Eritrean and a British student, and 933 wounded (including Palestinians unrelated to the incidents).

In total there were in the mentioned period of two and a half years:

  • 193 knife attacks actually carried out and 142 attempted
  • 182 attacks with firearms
  • 64 attacks with vehicles
  • a bus bombing (April 18, 2016).

Since March 30, 2018, a group of Hamas activists named Abna al-Zouari ("Sons of al-Zouari", named after the aeronautical engineer Muhammad al-Zouari ) and their supporters have been using large-scale so-called fire kites , kites on which Grenades or other unconventional explosive and incendiary devices are attached. In addition, there are helium balloons (which can fly further), to which explosive devices such as Molotov cocktails or pipe bombs are attached, which are detonated from cell phones as soon as they are in the vicinity of IDF troops. Since the beginning, more than 800 fire dragons have been deployed, over 400 of which have been intercepted by the IDF defense units. Israel is trying to neutralize the fire dragons with the help of drones , which is a difficult undertaking given the crowd.

The attacks are carried out by the following organizations:

Establishment of the anti-terrorist units

The Israeli counter-terrorism units are divided into three types of units, the takeover units, the combat units and the support units.

Takeover units

The JAMAM unit during an arrest after the discovery of explosives in a vehicle

Takeover units are those units that in most cases primarily carry out the actual rescue or rescue attempt. There are at least two units on constant alert. These include:

Combat units

Members of the reconnaissance unit PALSAR Givati ​​during training.

The task of the combat units is to secure the combat zone, collect information and wait for the planned takeover unit to arrive. At least one unit is on constant alert at a time. Combat groups are only allowed to attempt a rescue or hostage rescue if the terrorists begin to kill hostages. Otherwise you have to wait until the designated takeover unit arrives. The units are subordinate to the geographical commands.

Support units

Israeli police bomb disposal robots in action in front of a supermarket in Afula , September 2006

Support units are those units that assist the combat and takeover units in their counter-terrorism operations. At least one of the following units is on constant alert.

  • Attack Palga - this department belongs to the Oketz unit ( Hebrew יחידת עוקץ, Unit 7142), the IDF Dog Fighting Unit. Attack Palga uses specially trained fighting dogs against terrorists and kidnappers.
  • A team from the Shahaf unit (unit 869), a field reconnaissance battalion of the IDF's remote observation and intelligence service, is firmly connected to Sajeret Matkal (unit 269) and supports surveillance and reconnaissance in the terror zone before and during the rescue operation.
  • The TIBAM team consists of computer specialties that help the anti-terrorist units to create a virtual model of the terrorist target if necessary.
  • The JACHSAP unit is responsible for defusing explosives.
  • Unit 5114 ( Psagot Battalion) is an electronic warfare unit of the IDF. It is responsible for radio surveillance in the zone occupied by terrorists and, if necessary, disrupts the incoming and outgoing radio transmissions of the terrorists.

education

The Anti-Terrorism Combat School of the Israel Defense Forces was founded as Unit 707 in 1985 as an integral part of the then newly established Mitkan Adam - the MAHAM's special training facility (Unit 7208).

Israel's anti-terrorist instruments

Detention and interrogation tactics are among the most important tools used to neutralize terrorists. If terrorists evade arrest, Israel will resort to targeted killings. Other offensive tactics include house demolitions and the expulsion of suspects. Checkpoints limit the mobility of terrorists. Barriers around the Gaza Strip and barriers on the West Bank are further defensive elements in the fight against terrorism and are equipped with overlapping observation posts and remote-controlled weapons systems. Other civil protection measures include armoring buses and ambulances driving through problematic areas. Kindergartens, schools, shopping centers and public buildings are protected by armed security guards.

Successes (selection)

According to Nadav Argaman (57), head of the Israeli secret service Shin Bet , 400 planned terrorist attacks were prevented in Israel in 2017, including 107 attempted suicide attacks and eight planned kidnappings. At the same time, 54 attacks could not be foiled. In 2016 there were 108 assassinations that were not prevented.

According to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel has helped prevent dozens of serious terrorist attacks in Europe in the past. The Israeli secret service had passed on information that was aimed at civil aviation.

The unit 8200 of the Israeli army, a secret service that collects information from the electronic communication and evaluates could a terrorist attack on a flight from Australia, which the Islamic state had planned in the summer of 2017, defeat.

In mid-June 2018, the Israeli security service published that it had uncovered a particularly large and active terrorist cell in recent months. The group included 20 terrorists, all of whom were arrested at the end of April as part of a joint operation by the security service and the Israeli army. The terror group had been active since the end of October 2017. Most of the members belonged to Hamas. Some of them had extensive experience in terrorist operations and the production of explosives. A bomb attack in Tel Aviv, a suicide attack in Jerusalem and several attacks in Samaria were planned.

In the years 2016–2019, Israel's Mossad intelligence service and the military counter- intelligence are said to have prevented 50 planned terrorist attacks that are attributed to the terrorist organization IS . The services issued corresponding warnings to 20 states. Twelve planned attacks should take place in Turkey alone.

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Terror against Israel , Israeli Embassy in Berlin, April 22, 2018. Accessed December 4, 2018.
  2. ↑ Global Terrorism Database . Retrieved December 4, 2018.
  3. ^ Israel - Bomb rips bus , Süddeutsche Zeitung, April 18, 2016. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
  4. ↑ Hamas Terrorism Against Israel: The Fire Dragons , Israeli Embassy in Berlin, June 20, 2018. Accessed December 4, 2018.
  5. ↑ Terrorism in Israel - Terror Organizations in Israel , Landdaten.info. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
  6. ↑ a b Israeli Special Forces Counter Terror . Retrieved December 4, 2018.
  7. ↑ Marcel Serr, Fighting Terrorism in Israel: A Model for Europe? , Federal Agency for Civic Education, October 21, 2016. Accessed December 10, 2018.
  8. ↑ 54 attacks occurred, 400 could be prevented , Jesus.ch, January 11, 2018. Accessed December 10, 2018.
  9. ↑ Israel apparently prevented dozens of attacks , Handelsblatt, January 9, 2018. Accessed December 10, 2018.
  10. ↑ IDF Reveals: IS Terrorist Attack Prevented , Focus Jerusalem, February 23, 2018. Accessed December 10, 2018.
  11. ↑ Terrorist attacks foiled in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv , Israel today, June 18, 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  12. ↑ Jüdische Allgemeine, No. 28/19, July 11, 2019, p. 2. Retrieved July 12, 2019.