Last update - 00:00 06/08/2007
Ex-Shin Bet official: Letting PM meet Abbas in Jericho is 'irresponsible'
By Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondent
Former head of VIP security in the Shin Bet Avraham Rotem said Sunday the mission of protecting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert while he is in Jericho is expected to be a nerve-wracking experience
"After all, Israel will not occupy Jericho for the sake of this visit," noted Rotem.
"This is a very complex operation. It is like President George Bush deciding to land in the middle of Afghanistan tomorrow. It seems irresponsible to me," he added.
Witnessing any of the various events in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem attended by the prime minister is enough for one to get an idea of the complexity, challenge and cost of safeguarding VIPs.
Guests are required to come hours before the event, undergo a detailed security check, including going through metal detectors and questioning, roads are often sealed off, and sometimes entire areas are blocked all in an effort to create as extensive a "sterile" zone as possible.
Even though Jericho is considered the most peaceful city in the West Bank, it is still in the territories: "We must rely on the people who are inviting us there. No matter what Israeli security personnel do unless we can trust the other side, it will be meaningless.