Why Be Coy? Yes, We'll Be Prepared for September

AFP is passing on this story culled from the Hebrew press:-

Israeli army trains Jewish West Bank settlers

The Israeli army is training Jewish settlers in the West Bank to repel any violent protests in the territories when the Palestinians try to secure UN membership next month, the military said.  Asked to confirm a story first reported in Haaretz newspaper, the army issued a written statement saying it was in the process of training settlement response teams, "to deal with any possible scenario."  But it declined to give details on "operational preparedness."

...Most settlers already have assault rifles or pistols.  "There is also a decision, in principle, to equip the chief security officers of settlements with the means for dispersing demonstrations," the paper said, citing a document in its possession. "These would include tear gas and stun grenades."

Why the retinence?

a) first all, since more than half our population is made up of women, children, elderly and those who are unlicensed who do not either possess a weapon or are trained in weapons usage, and that includes Hareim, "most" is unfactual;

b) we have had response teams for decades.  the training gtes improved from year to year as well as according to the Arab threats;

c) if anything, the object of this is that we wil be able to defend ourselves and families from murderous hordes with as much ability as possible so as to prevent fatalities to those who seek our death or injury;

d) at Adei-Ad, behind Shiloh, I have noted attempts by masses if charged up Arabs throwing stones, attacking and destroying and there is no doubt their intentions are to kill, if possible, maim, if possible and to destroy homes and agricultural produce, if possible

We aim (pardon the pun) to make that an impossibility.


________________

UPDATE


'Training sessions are nothing extraordinary'

Danny Dayan, chairman of the settlers' YESHA Council, said in a telephone interview that "Certainly during a period of tension, with intelligence reports of possible threats, of course readiness crews are being trained."

Dayan saw these preparations as "nothing extraordinary", noting how most settlers residents involved have already done compulsory duty in the IDF, which drafts most Israeli men at the age of 18.  "The Israeli army is responsible for them, they are not private settler militias of the residents," Dayan said.

Armed settlers residents "operate under orders to avoid killing civilians. In the event of a break-in at a settlement, the response would be purely defensive, nothing offensive," he added.

...Avigdor Shatz, who oversees security in the Benjamin settlement district of the West Bank Judea Judea and Samaria told Reuters that ahead of September's vote, "we are exercising them (security personnel) more, so they will be as trained as necessary." He would not provide details or figures on how many settler security personnel exist, but said most of the 140 or so enclaves Israel has built in the West Bank area had defense teams, and said "very few" of their members had firearms.

^



^