IDF to secure hitchhikers in West Bank with new surveillance - Haaretz

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Thu., August 23, 2007 Elul 9, 5767

Israel Time: 20:10 (EST+7)

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		Israelis waiting at a hitchhiking stop outside the West Bank settlement of Ofra. (Eyal Warshavsky / Bau Bau)

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Last update - 10:41 20/08/2007

IDF to secure hitchhikers in West Bank with new surveillance

By Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondent

In an effort to bolster Israeli hitchhikers' security in the West Bank, the Israel Defense Forces has decided to install electronic surveillance and other equipment in at least 10 major stops frequented by settlers along Road 60.

The issue of securing Israelis in the territories is one that has consistently troubled the security forces, which recognize that civilians, lured by the relative calm in the West Bank into taking risks, are "soft targets" for militants.

The hitchhiker stops that the IDF plans to secure at a cost of NIS 2 million are mostly along Road 60 and are situated close to many of the larger West Bank settlements.

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In addition to the installation of surveillance cameras that will film vehicles passing on both sides of the route, an electronic communications system will allow hitchhikers in danger to call for help. Their call will be received at the nearest army guard post, usually near the settlement several hundred meters away.

In addition, the minute the emergency button is pressed, a light on the stop's roof will turn on, attracting the attention of passersby and security personnel. The stop near Ofra was equipped with these emergency systems two months ago, but the current plan calls for installing equipment near the junctions of Tapuah, Rahelim, Shilo, Eli, Gush Etzion, Kiryat Araba, Etaniel and others.

"We will be able to have the response time that we have been lacking during kidnappings," a military source said yesterday. "We will be able to respond quickly, set up roadblocks, chase [perpetrators] and alert the whole area. At this time, we do not have this capability," he added.

The popularity of hitchhiking as a means of transportation among settler youth has been central to the security concerns of officers in the Central Command - a great deal more than fears of a possible attack against a settlement.

Central Command sources say the relative calm in the West Bank is deceptive and many attempts to carry out terrorist attacks are being prevented by special forces operating in Palestinian towns.

The construction of the separation fence, the creation of semi-permanent firing along main roads, and the creation of special security zones in the same areas, have led Palestinian militants to focus more on kidnapping Israelis.

"They recognize the kind of trauma that Israel experiences in cases of a kidnapping, and they are interested in having something to exchange for Palestinians held in prisons," a senior officer said yesterday in explaining the motivation of the militants.

The nonchalance with which Israelis approach this threat makes them "easy prey" according to army officers.

For example, a story released for publication last week held that Daud Zbeidi, brother of the former fugitive head of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, had planned to kidnap an Israeli woman visiting the territories in search of cheap charcoal.

Zbeidi, who had been arrested in an IDF operation in late May, revealed this information to the Shin Bet security service, which acknowledged it had been completely ignorant of the woman's movements and the militants' plans.

The Breslav Hassidim and right-wing activist have also returned to areas frequented prior to the outbreak of the intifada in September 2000. The Hassidim sneak into Nablus and Joseph's Tomb, and the right-wing activists want to climb to the ruins of the settlement of Homesh.

"The days when anyone who wanted to go in there could do so, are over," a senior officer said. "We will make special arrangements for the Hassidim who want to visit the tomb, in a coordinated, secure way - assuming it does not affect other operations."

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1.	What a joke	06:32	\|	steve	20/08/07

2.	I wonder about settler mothers	07:23	\|	Rivka	20/08/07

3.	Israelis should be encouraged to arm themselves.	07:43	\|	Tess	20/08/07

4.	#2, Rivka	07:59	\|	Silvienne	20/08/07

5.	#1, Steve	08:01	\|	Silvienne	20/08/07

6.	#3, Tess	08:02	\|	Silvienne	20/08/07

7.	not only youth must hitchhike	08:48	\|	Batya	20/08/07

8.	Steve #1	08:54	\|	GeneRx	20/08/07

9.	If settlers are allowed to carry guns, why is it that Shai Dromi,	09:30	\|	Gary	20/08/07

10.	Silvienne & Rivka you generalise	09:32	\|	Margie in Tel Aviv	20/08/07

11.	Steve	10:07	\|	Barry	20/08/07

12.	THE REMEDY REMAINS THE SAME	10:20	\|	paul harris	20/08/07

13.	Disgusting, anti-Semitic talkbacks	10:31	\|	Andras Bereny	20/08/07

14.	JUST DONT GO THE WB	10:33	\|	indrajaya	20/08/07

15.	#14 why not forbid indrajaya to post in haaretz	10:38	\|	victor hardman	20/08/07

16.	reply to Gary	10:39	\|	Rebecka	20/08/07

17.	to #1 Steve	10:44	\|	Lavy	20/08/07

18.	to #14 Indrajaya	10:52	\|	Lavy	20/08/07

19.	indrajaya is RIGHT	10:56	\|	Neil	20/08/07

20.	#1 Judenrein territory	10:59	\|	Margie in Tel Aviv	20/08/07

21.	reply to Gary	11:04	\|	Rebecka	20/08/07

22.	Big Brother	11:38	\|	Thinkpad	20/08/07

23.	secure them...	11:40	\|	ravi	20/08/07

24.	Margie #18	11:50	\|	Guido	20/08/07

25.	Israelis should be encouraged to arm themselves	11:54	\|	Yaz	20/08/07

26.	WB is not ISRAEL	12:12	\|	indrajaya	20/08/07

27.	Guido	12:26	\|	Margie in Tel Aviv	20/08/07

28.	Plenty of money ...	12:52	\|	Frustrated	20/08/07

29.	margie #27	13:18	\|	Guido	20/08/07

30.	indrajaya No. 26	13:19	\|	Neil	20/08/07

31.	Yhile Pals rot idling at myriad IDF checkpointrs	13:32	\|	Victor	20/08/07

32.	#31 lucky you victor you never lived in belfast	13:59	\|	victor hardman	20/08/07

33.	Guido: who is a racist	14:05	\|	Margie in Tel Aviv	20/08/07

34.	Victor: Terrorists are sick	14:07	\|	Jy praat twak	20/08/07

35.	Jy praat twak	15:20	\|	Victor	20/08/07

36.	#27 Guido/Margie: No equivalency	15:23	\|	Jasmine Murphy	20/08/07

37.	Jy praat twak	15:24	\|	Victor	20/08/07

38.	Margie #32	15:28	\|	Guido	20/08/07

39.	hiking in occupied territory	15:39	\|	rose	20/08/07

40.	Hitching	16:14	\|	* BEN JABO	20/08/07

41.	#15 victor hardman - Ha`Aretz thrives on	16:24	\|	* BEN JABO	20/08/07

42.	#31 Victor	16:27	\|	* BEN JABO	20/08/07

43.	why do ot you kill the Palestinians with laser	16:41	\|	mehmet	20/08/07

44.	Let,s see how those non existant Palestinians are doing.	16:49	\|	Labhras	20/08/07

45.	#29 Guido re Margie in TA (Ex SA).	17:04	\|	Labhras	20/08/07

46.	Why so many hitch hikers?	17:06	\|	Palestinian Brit	20/08/07

47.	There you`ve the leftist mentality poisoning IDF	17:11	\|	Joseph E .	20/08/07

48.	#38 no labarse the solution is for the arabs	17:37	\|	victor hardman	20/08/07

49.	$27 Margie in TA(Ex SA)	17:39	\|	Labhras	20/08/07

50.	#40 Big-OT in "bed"-fast	18:58	\|	Labhras	20/08/07

51.	#40 Pal Brit: you seem to be implying danger of violence	19:02	\|	Jasmine Murphy	20/08/07

52.	Labhratty the self declared racist	19:31	\|	Margie in Tel Aviv	20/08/07

53.	Labhras re Margie -Jews in a palestinian state.	19:39	\|	Jasmine Murphy	20/08/07

54.	Hardman with a hard brain	20:33	\|	Tamir Palestine	20/08/07

55.	"52 Jasmine blowing in her mind	21:03	\|	Labhras	20/08/07

56.	#32 Big -OTin Bed-fast	21:44	\|	Labhras	20/08/07

57.	#51 Jasmine re Palestinian brit	21:48	\|	Labhras	20/08/07

58.	Rape and abuse in Israel - No 51	21:49	\|	Palestinian Brit	20/08/07

59.	Jasmine - who gave you that sweet name?	21:51	\|	Palestinian Brit	20/08/07

60.	Victor from the north of Ireland	21:53	\|	Palestinian Brit	20/08/07

61.	Labhras can`t handle the truth, or doesn`t understand it?	21:56	\|	Jasmine Murphy	20/08/07

62.	To Labhras the Xenophobic Leprauchaun	22:32	\|	SA expat	20/08/07

63.	Labhras on blowing Sinn Fein	22:38	\|	Zebulonguy	20/08/07

64.	#52 Margie in TA (ex SA)	22:39	\|	Labhras	20/08/07

65.	The peace in Northern Ireland wont last	22:41	\|	Orange	20/08/07

66.	#61 Jasmine	22:50	\|	Labhras	20/08/07

67.	"63 Orange aka ????	23:18	\|	Labhras	20/08/07

68.	MAYBE IF THE GOVERNMENT STOP WITH WITHDRAWALS IT WOULD BE SAFER	00:03	\|	PalestiniansAreAMyth	21/08/07

69.	#63, Orange	00:17	\|	Silvienne	21/08/07

70.	#55, Labhras...	00:20	\|	Silvienne	21/08/07

71.	#59, Palestinian Brit	00:21	\|	Silvienne	21/08/07

72.	#61, "Jasmine Murphy", who can`t handle what?	00:23	\|	Silvienne	21/08/07

73.	#62, Zebulonguy	00:26	\|	Silvienne	21/08/07

74.	#64, Labhras....	00:27	\|	Silvienne	21/08/07

75.	Tamir Palestine	00:29	\|	Silvienne	21/08/07

76.	#13, Andras Bereny, illegal West Bank squatter	00:37	\|	Hannah	21/08/07

77.	#66 Silvienne re ILA	00:57	\|	Labhras	21/08/07

78.	Chinese wisdom for Slowman	00:58	\|	Yuval Azoulay	21/08/07

79.	#46 Pal Brit	00:59	\|	* BEN JABO	21/08/07

80.	#67 Silvienne - There was a Palestinian State	01:03	\|	* BEN JABO	21/08/07

81.	#77, Labhras....	01:17	\|	Silvienne	21/08/07

82.	#69 Silvienne re Orange	01:20	\|	Labhras	21/08/07

83.	#76, Hannah	01:23	\|	Silvienne	21/08/07

84.	Margie,Jasmine Murphy &others	02:05	\|	Cyasher	21/08/07

85.	security for me, too?	02:14	\|	Pssd Off American	21/08/07

86.	#82, Labhras...	02:20	\|	Silvienne	21/08/07

87.	#80, Ben Jabo	02:22	\|	Silvienne	21/08/07

88.	great idea! stay out.	02:24	\|	literal rules	21/08/07

89.	UN Resolution 3092	02:41	\|	Literal Rule	21/08/07

90.	84 Cyasher	03:16	\|	Jeff	21/08/07

91.	64 orange	03:33	\|	Jeff	21/08/07

92.	1 steve	03:37	\|	Jeff	21/08/07

93.	15 victor hardman	03:41	\|	Jeff	21/08/07

94.	28 Plenty of money	03:54	\|	Jeff	21/08/07

95.	Lookin for a lift to Gaza guys.	03:56	\|	Jeff	21/08/07

96.	#37 a Victor..........You definitely aint!!	08:34	\|	Joe Moer	21/08/07

97.	#83, Sylvienne	11:32	\|	Hannah	21/08/07

98.	#87 Silvienne	18:30	\|	* BEN JABO	21/08/07

99.	#98, Ben Jabo...	18:53	\|	Silvienne	21/08/07

100.	#96 Jeff	18:17	\|	* BEN JABO	23/08/07

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