Israel Border Police
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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.
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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 is established.
Structure
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).
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 Taibe, the rescue of Eliyaho Goral, the killing of Hamas head in Hebron, Abbedullah Qawasameh and the foiling of an massacre attempt in Yokne'am school by Palestinian terrorists.
See also
External links
- Border Police official website (http://www.police.gov.il/english/BorderGuard/Mission/00_about.asp)
- Magav - Israeli Frontier Guard (http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=5544&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=) (some info and lot of photos)he:משמר הגבול