What happens when the army has to face a Jewish child throwing a stone? Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz was faced with difficult questions on Tuesday after he visited soldiers from the IDF's Central Command.
Mofaz met with a paratrooper battalion that had participated in the detainment
of 50 Islamic Jihad suspects earlier in the day, and praised them for their efforts.
He was accompanied by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz and CO Central Command Maj. Gen. Yair Naveh.
One officer explained to Mofaz the complexity of guarding the Jewish settlement in Hebron in the West Bank, while still trying to maintain an 'normal' way of life for the Palestinian population.
| Struggling Against Terror |
|
| Israeli killed in West Bank ambush / By Hanan Greenberg and Sharon Roffe Ofir |
|
Palestinians shoot and kill Yevgeny Raider in West Bank as violence continues to flare in the region ahead of a planned Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and a summit between Sharon and Abbas; Meanwhile, troops prevent hospital attack by detaining suicide bomber |
| Full story |
|
|
|
"We don't have the tools to deal with this," he said.
Naveh said the military establishment is currently in process of looking for legal ways to stop these incidences.
In addition, Mofaz said the issue had not disappeared from the military's agenda and that the establishment "will provide all the needed support to help deal with such incidences."
Green light for remands
Mofaz also gave the 'green light' for robust action against Islamic Jihad in the Palestinian territories.
"(Islamic) Jihad declared it is not part of the calm and we must act to stop its actions at any place and at any time," he said. "Every time we'll receive information connected to the group's activists, we must act to thwart all its actions."
According to the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement, IDF troops in the territories must receive approval for all arrests by the senior echelon. However, soldiers have now been given a "freer hand" regarding the arrests of Islamic Jihad activists.
Bureaucracy will also be reduced to ease the situation.
Military action against other terror groups committed to the calm will continue to be more restrained and controlled.
Mofaz also discussed Hamas's infrastructure in Hebron, and said the army must "keep its finger on the pulse."
Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz said the Islamic Jihad arrests earlier occurred a short time after the decision was made. He said action would continue.
"Wherever we'll receive information, we'll try to place our hands on the terrorists," he said. "We are not coming to kill and destroy, but to catch and detain, so that they will not be able to use terror against citizens."
Legal tools
Mofaz also discussed the issue of confrontation between soldiers and citizens regarding opposition to the upcoming pullout and construction of the security fence.
"There is a legal basis, and we must use these tools," he said. "Soldiers must not be unprotected."
RSS
