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Magen Yehuda is an organization run by volunteers
who started its activities in 2004 because of
the needs that arouse during of all the terror
attacks in the towns and settlements in and out
of the green line.
During the last few years the terrorists don't
just capture a few people as hostages as they
did in the past but are out to kill as many people
as they can find who are vulnerable, women, children,
elderly people and whole families just sitting
down to a quiet dinner.
Due to the situation an immediate need arose to
organize a unit of quick action in as many towns
as possible.
These units are comprised of local people who
can react quickly in an emergency situation such
as terrorists entering the town or a house or
cutting a hole in the protective fence.
These units were formed by the army and given
basic equipment and weapons by the army but because
of a lack of funds they received very basic training
which is not enough to deal with the difficult
situations which they have had to deal with.
In comparison similar army units that are trained
to fight terrorists in a populated residential
area train for many months before they are allowed
to go on duty.
This is where Magen Yehuda comes into the picture.
Magen Yehuda provides short, intensive, high quality
training sessions and preparation for these special
units in the towns and settlements. The training
is especially for these units and the particular
type of fighting they might have to do in the
midst of their town with people around in order
to save their friends and families.
The training sessions are planned and approved
by the army and with army assistance such as targets,
bullets and a place to train, when budget allows
it.
The training sessions are serious and professional;
there is no room for anything but the best, it
could be a matter of life or death for someone.
Since the war in the north there are more and
more warnings of terrorist attacks and the need
for training has grown.
The principle of Magen Yehuda is that every Yshuv
and every citizen will have the facilities for
immediate solution in case of a terror attack.
In order to do this, three areas have to be taken
care of:
1. Initial Response Team
? Experience shows that IRT which is part of the
Yshuv, can get into action in minutes. To IDF
it takes hours. TIME IS LIFE SAVING.
? Most IRTs today lack the proper skills. E.g.
in the attack in Hebron, they suffered many casualties
and could not cop with the terrorist.
? Magen Yehuda prepares the IRT for their mission
and enables them to give an immediate solution.
Itamar IRT where practices thoroughly on last
May and in the incident last August killed the
terrorist, implementing what they learned. Unfortunately,
Shlomo Miller, a precious man, was killed before
they arrived. The IDF arrived much later.
2. House fortification
? Most Yshuvim are not protected against terrorist
attacks. There is no alert of approaching terrorists.
Magen Yehuda is offering a complete alert to the
people in the house and to the IRT, thus enabling
them to stop the terrorists on their way.
3. Qualification training for citizen
In many cases single people or a whole family
was attacked in the house or on the way home.
Magen Yehuda is conducting courses for people
in order to deal with such attacks and saving
their lives.
Magen Yehuda is already conducting courses for
IRTs, IRT instructors and Chief Security men.
This is done with full coordination and cooperation
of the army. The Israeli Army is helping with
logistics, sites and ammunition, but has not enough
means (man power and budget) to cop with training
hundreds of IRTs and thousands of citizens.
Magen Yehuda is operation in full cooperation
with the Israeli Army and the the Yshuvim councils.
Practicing is done at IDF sites. The practice
plan is build with the IDF and the councils. Instructors
are post SWAT officers and soldiers, who got complementary
courses by Magen Yehuda and are first class experts
in anti terror combat.
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