Planning for Protection from Terrorism
As the Jewish holiday season approaches, Israel is facing an uptick in violent attacks. On Wednesday morning an IDF soldier, Maj. Bar Falach of Netanya, was killed by two Palestinian gunmen in northern Samaria. When the Palestinians were found acting suspiciously, IDF soldiers began to arrest the men, who then began shooting at the soldiers. Falach and the two gunmen were killed in the ensuing shootout.
Palestinian gunmen also fired at Israeli engineers in the same location, the Jalamah checkpoint north of Jenin, the previous morning. The engineers were upgrading the security barrier when the terrorists opened fire, leaving about 40 shell casings in the area. No injuries were reported.
The attacks come amid the IDF’s Operation Break the Wave, an anti-terror mission that began this spring and has resulted in the arrest of about 2,000 suspected terrorists so far. With more violence expected, Israel will deploy a record 20,000 police officers throughout the country during the coming weeks in which the Jewish people will celebrate Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot.
Terrorism is nothing new to Israel, so its citizens are in good hands, thanks to the nation’s well-prepared defense sector. But we are saddened by the loss of one of its defenders and pray for comfort for Maj. Falach’s family. We also hope the added security measures will result in a safe, happy holiday season for families all throughout Israel this fall.
