Israel Border Police: Magav
The Israel Border Police (Hebrew: משמר הגבול, Mishmar HaGvul) is the combat branch of the Israeli Police. It is also commonly known by its Hebrew abbreviation Magav (Hebrew: מג"ב ), meaning: border guard.
History
Structure
YAMAM
See also
History
The Border Police was founded as the Frontier Corps (Hebrew: חיל הספר), a gendarmerie under the IDF in 1949 with the task of providing security in rural areas and along the borders. In the course of the following years, it was gradually transferred to the command of the Police and became the Border Police. During these years, it secured new settlements and countered infiltration of Palestinians, especially from Egypt and Jordan.
During the 1956 Suez War, the Border Police was involved in the Kafr Qasim massacre. On the second day of the war, a curfew was imposed on the Israeli Arab village. Villagers who had worked in the village fields and had not been informed about the curfew were shot as they returned to the village, resulting in 49 dead. The massacre raised a strong protest in the Israeli public and resulted in a landmark Supreme Court ruling on the obligation of soldiers to disobey manifestly illegal orders.
During the 1967 Six-Day War, the Border Police took part in the fighting alongside the IDF. Following the war, it was deployed in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and charged with maintaining law and order as part of the military administration. Since then, a significant portion of the Border Police's activity has been in these territories, especially during the years of the Intifada.
In 1974, the counter-terror unit YAMAM was established.
In October Riots the Border Police used as the main branch of the treatment in the events. During al-Aqsa Intifada the Border Police took a large part in the security activity.
In 2005 the Border Police participated in the implementation of the disengagement plan.
The Border Police is composed of professional
officers on payroll and
field policemen redirected from the IDF (men at the age of 18 can
choose to serve in the Border Police instead of the IDF, serving 3
years as a border policeman is equal to 3 years as an IDF soldier). All
border policemen receive combat training and in addition are also
trained for CT (counter-terrorism), riot control and policework.
Excellent policemen can specialize in some profession and receive
special training to become snipers, buggie-drivers, dog operators, bomb
squad etc.Because of their combat training, border policemen are employed in unquiet areas, where there are greater risks for riots, violence and even terror. They serve mainly at the countryside, at Arab villages and towns (along with the regular police), near the borders and at the West Bank.
The Border Police is also responsible for security of rural settlements inside Israel with its Rural Police (Hebrew: שיטור כפרי, shitur kafri) units and community security coordinators (Hebrew: רב"ש, rabash). Rural policemen are full time professional officers and security coordinators are a mixture of full time and volunteer officers.
The Border Police has four SF units:
• YAMAM (Counter-Terror and Hostage
Rescue unit),
• YAMAS (Counter-Terror Undercover Unit),
• YAMAG (Tactical Counter-Crime and Counter-Terror Rapid Deployment Unit) and
• MATILAN (Intelligence Gathering and Infiltrations Interception Unit).
• YAMAS (Counter-Terror Undercover Unit),
• YAMAG (Tactical Counter-Crime and Counter-Terror Rapid Deployment Unit) and
• MATILAN (Intelligence Gathering and Infiltrations Interception Unit).
The Border Police has an excellent record of thwarting terrorist attacks. One of the most famous incidents is the capture of a car bomb, containing more than 500 kg of explosives, near Wadi Arra.
The YAMAM record includes the capture of a terrorist group hidden in the Arab town of Tayibe, the rescue of Eliyahu Goral, the killing of the Hamas head in Hebron, Abbedullah Qawasameh, and the foiling of a massacre attempt in a Yokneam school by Palestinian terrorists.
The YAMAM
( ימ"מ ), is the acronym for Special Police Unit (יחידת משטרה
מיוחדת) in Hebrew, Israel's elite civilian "counter-terrorism" unit.
The YAMAM has a world-wide reputation as a professional and successful
paramilitary force and it is capable of both hostage-rescue operations
and offensive take-over raids against civilian targets. Besides
military duties, it also performs SWAT duties and undercover police
work.Name and organization
History
Operational record 1974 - September 2000
Operational record during the al-Aqsa Intifada (since October 2000)
YAMAM Directors
Name and organization
YAMAM stands for Special Police Unit (יחידת משטרה מיוחדת). In Israel it is also called "Unit for Counter-Terror היחידה ללוחמה בטרור". The YAMAM answers to the MAGAV central command and belongs to the civilian Israeli police forces rather than the military. Its operators and officers are professional policemen on payroll, usually with combat experience from their military service within the IDF.
The YAMAM is self-dependent, training its own operators in all fields, such as sniping, recon, dog operating, bomb disposal, etc. As a result, the YAMAM has a very rapid deployment time and high coordination between various squads (sniping squad, entry team, engagement force, etc.).
The YAMAM's primary duties are:
Hostage rescue.
Offensive or preemptive operations.
SWAT duties - handling dangerous criminals.
Undercover police operations.
VIP security.
Offensive or preemptive operations.
SWAT duties - handling dangerous criminals.
Undercover police operations.
VIP security.
Most of the YAMAM's activity is classified, and published YAMAM operations are often credited to other units. Nevertheless, the YAMAM enjoys a high reputation among SF professionals and the Israeli public.
The YAMAM was established after the Maalot massacre, where a failed operation by military special forces units ended with 21 children murdered before the hostage takers were killed.
Since hostage rescue in friendly territory is different from that in hostile areas, it was decided to establish an elite civilian force, which develops and practices a special CQB (Close Quarters Battles) doctrine for "counter-terrorism" operations in friendly territory and hostage rescue. In the late 1974 the YAMAM was established as and falls under the direct jurisidiction of a special forces counter-terrorism unit of the MAGAV — the combat arm of the police.
The YAMAM has carried out many paramilitary operations. Some of the missions known to the public prior to the al-Aqsa Intifada are listed below:
In March, 1988, the YAMAM was called into action after a group of three Palestinians hijacked a bus full of women near Dimona, in an incident known as the "Mothers Bus". The YAMAM struck, killing all three targets, but not managing to prevent three Israeli passengers from being killed.
On March 3, 2000, the YAMAM captured an armed group hidden in the Israeli-Arab town of Taibe with the aid of Sayeret Duvdevan and an IDF Caterpillar D9 bulldozer. In the end of the raid, one man was arrested and four were killed.
The YAMAM has carried out many paramilitary operations during the Al-Aqsa Intifada within the last few years. The vast majority of them are classified. Some of the most notable are listed below:
April 7, 2002: A combination of SHABAK, the YAMAM and the IDF leads to the capture of Case Aduwan, a Hamas member who planned the Passover massacre in Netanya. Aduwan fortified himself in a house along with four armed members. During the raid, YAMAM snipers killed two and IDF forces detonated a car bomb meant to be sent into an Israeli city. After 12 hours of heavy fire exchanges, an armoured IDF Caterpillar D9 demolished the house. Aduwan's body was found under the rubble.
YAMAM and Sayeret Matkal rescued Israeli cab driver Eliyaho Goral, after he was kidnapped by Palestinian militants.
June 23, 2003: YAMAM forces killed Hamas's head in Hebron, Abbedullah Qawasameh.
December 3, 2003: YAMAM forces foiled an attempted massacre in Yokne'am school by Palestinians.
YAMAM forces killed Sirhan Sirhan, a Palestinian who was responsible for the deaths of a mother and her two children in Kibbutz Metzer.
YAMAM forces, together with IDF elite units, arrested 12 members of al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, which used the shelter of a mental institute in Bethlehem to prepare a huge suicide bombing against Israel during Passover.
July 25, 2004: YAMAM forces kill 6 Tanzim members in Tulkarm, including the local head and a linkman to Hizbullah.
November 21, 2004: Three Fatah militants were killed in a gunfight with the YAMAM. One of the dead was Mohammed Rassan Sheikh, a senior Fatah militant who hid in Arafat's compound for a long time. (Haaretz)
Asaf Hafetz (1974-1988)
Elik Ron (1988-1992)
David Tzur (1992-1995)
The names of active YAMAM chiefs are prohibited from publication.
Elik Ron (1988-1992)
David Tzur (1992-1995)
The names of active YAMAM chiefs are prohibited from publication.
See also
Israel
Israeli elections: victory without euphoria
Dreaming of convergence - Israel's poll
Ariel Sharon
Hamas
The Barrier
Shabak
Mossad
Israel Police