1 sept 2019
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PM slams Channel 12 for airing HBO show on violent events of summer 2014, calling the network 'anti-Semitic' and asking Israelis to boycott it; Rivlin appears to rap prime minister for comments, saying Israelis should show unity
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came under fire Sunday for his attacks on an Israeli television channel that aired a controversial HBO show about the events of summer 2014, when three Israeli teens were kidnapped and murdered by members of the Hamas terror group and three settlers kidnapped, tortured and murdered a Palestinian teen in retaliation. Netanyahu took aim at Channel 12 for airing "Our Boys" in a Facebook post Friday evening, calling it a "propaganda channel" and "anti-Semitic," and calling on Israelis to boycott the network. "The Keshet (Channel 12) propaganda channel has created an anti-Semitic series called 'Our Boys,' which is distributed world-wide and smears the good name of the State of Israel," Netanyahu wrote in his post. "I am not surprised by Channel 12 smearing Israel's good name with lies, since I'm used to them smearing my name daily. The show "Our Boys" devotes only a few minutes of cold archive footage to the murder of the three boys. "Immediately thereafter and throughout the entire series, the whole plot detaches itself from their shocking murder story and focuses on one case - the murder of the Arab boy in Jerusalem, a shocking but rare case. |
"Since the series aired last month, many of you have contacted me and asked what could be done. I made a clear recommendation: Don't watch Channel 12. They benefit from ratings".
The prime minister faced widespread backlash online, with social media users berating him for his accusations, even liking him to the pro-Palestinian BDS movement, which calls for the boycott of Israel.
One Twitter user wrote: "This is it folks: Netanyahu has endorsed BDS. He wants no one to watch the Israeli HBO series Our Boys." The writer went on to quote from Netanyahu's Facebook post: "This is the real answer in a democracy, the freedom to choose what to watch".
Another user took problem with the use of the term anti-Semitic: "Do we now just call anything we don't like anti-Semitic?! This is CRAZY, and so irresponsible and sadly not really a departure from the new normal."
President Revuven Rivlin also appeared to criticize the prime minister's comments, urging Israeli unity in the face of extreme statements.
"Do not believe in incitement, in denial," Rivlin said, according to the Jerusalem Post. "Do not listen to the voices which are eager to radicalize the discourse, right or left. Take responsibility for our 'unity' because only this 'unity' is the guarantee of our strength and is the best guarantee of our security."
Netanyahu's criticism came a week after Channel 12 published transcripts from a state witness in one of the criminal investigations into the prime minister, known as Case 4000, in which he is accused of bribery, fraud and breach of trust for allegedly promoting regulations worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Bezeq and its then-majority shareholder Shaul Elovitch. In return, the prime minister allegedly received favorable coverage on Walla! News, which is owned by Bezeq.
The Likud party appealed to the Central Elections Committee to prevent media outlets from publishing transcripts from Netanyahu's investigations, but Supreme Court Justice Neal Hendel, the interim head of the committee, rejected the request until a hearing is held this week.
Netanyahu also took aim at Channel 12 in a live stream on his Facebook page Saturday evening, mocking a Yedioth Ahronoth report from that the channel's legal correspondent Guy Peleg had been assigned a bodyguard due to threats he received after publishing the transcripts from the witness, former director general of the Communications Ministry Shlomo Filber.
"Guy Peleg is a puppet," said Netanyahu in the live stream. "Who pulls the strings? First, the two Avis. Avi Weiss, CEO of Channel 12's news company, and Avi Nir, CEO of Keshet Media Group, which owns Channel 12.
"They should be ashamed of themselves and the poor (Israeli billionaires) Drorit Wertheim and Yitzhak Tshuva supporting them.
"Stop with the lies with the fake bodyguards you hired for your reporter. You probably hired (Blue and White leader and main opposition contender) Benny Gantz's fake bodyguard".
Channel 12 declined to respond.
The prime minister faced widespread backlash online, with social media users berating him for his accusations, even liking him to the pro-Palestinian BDS movement, which calls for the boycott of Israel.
One Twitter user wrote: "This is it folks: Netanyahu has endorsed BDS. He wants no one to watch the Israeli HBO series Our Boys." The writer went on to quote from Netanyahu's Facebook post: "This is the real answer in a democracy, the freedom to choose what to watch".
Another user took problem with the use of the term anti-Semitic: "Do we now just call anything we don't like anti-Semitic?! This is CRAZY, and so irresponsible and sadly not really a departure from the new normal."
President Revuven Rivlin also appeared to criticize the prime minister's comments, urging Israeli unity in the face of extreme statements.
"Do not believe in incitement, in denial," Rivlin said, according to the Jerusalem Post. "Do not listen to the voices which are eager to radicalize the discourse, right or left. Take responsibility for our 'unity' because only this 'unity' is the guarantee of our strength and is the best guarantee of our security."
Netanyahu's criticism came a week after Channel 12 published transcripts from a state witness in one of the criminal investigations into the prime minister, known as Case 4000, in which he is accused of bribery, fraud and breach of trust for allegedly promoting regulations worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Bezeq and its then-majority shareholder Shaul Elovitch. In return, the prime minister allegedly received favorable coverage on Walla! News, which is owned by Bezeq.
The Likud party appealed to the Central Elections Committee to prevent media outlets from publishing transcripts from Netanyahu's investigations, but Supreme Court Justice Neal Hendel, the interim head of the committee, rejected the request until a hearing is held this week.
Netanyahu also took aim at Channel 12 in a live stream on his Facebook page Saturday evening, mocking a Yedioth Ahronoth report from that the channel's legal correspondent Guy Peleg had been assigned a bodyguard due to threats he received after publishing the transcripts from the witness, former director general of the Communications Ministry Shlomo Filber.
"Guy Peleg is a puppet," said Netanyahu in the live stream. "Who pulls the strings? First, the two Avis. Avi Weiss, CEO of Channel 12's news company, and Avi Nir, CEO of Keshet Media Group, which owns Channel 12.
"They should be ashamed of themselves and the poor (Israeli billionaires) Drorit Wertheim and Yitzhak Tshuva supporting them.
"Stop with the lies with the fake bodyguards you hired for your reporter. You probably hired (Blue and White leader and main opposition contender) Benny Gantz's fake bodyguard".
Channel 12 declined to respond.
15 apr 2019
Mothers of 3 Israeli teens abducted and murdered by Hamas to be honored on Israel's Independence Day
Iris Yifrach, Bat Galim Shaer and Rachel Frenkel
In first, three people will be allowed to light a ceremonial torch at this year's 71st Independence Day celebrations as mothers of Naftali Frenkel, Gil-Ad Shaer and Eyal Yifrah - brutally killed by Hamas operatives in June 2014 - say they’re overwhelmed with emotions
The mothers of the three Israeli teens who were abducted and brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists five years ago, will be honored by lighting a ceremonial torch at this year’s Independence Day celebrations.
The three Israeli teens - Naftali Frenkel, Gil-Ad Shaer and Eyal Yifrah - disappeared June 12, 2014 only to be found dead three weeks later after a massive Israel Defense Forces search mission. A senior Hamas religious figure later admitted the terror group had carried out the kidnap.
The mothers of the there - Rachel Frenkel, Bat Galim Shaer and Iris Yifrach - will be the first trio to light the ceremonial torch in unison, after the organizers made an exception to the standard procedures which allow only two people to light the torch at the same time.
The three women have been working for the past few years to promote national unity and - in cooperation with Jerusalem Municipality and the Jerusalem-based Gesher NGO (dedicated to closing social gaps in the Israeli society) - established the Jerusalem Unity Prize in memory of their sons, celebrating “contributions to the solidarity of the Israeli nation.”
"We have mixed feelings, because the ones who truly deserve this honor is not us but rather the people who have worked so hard to create national solidarity," said Rachel Frenkel.
“I'm shocked and excited,” said Iris Yifrach. “It’s been five years since the abduction and now all of a sudden we’ve been asked to light the torch. Although it’s painful, it’s also exciting that the entire nation will once again feel united.”
“I’m overwhelmed with emotions,” said Bat Galim Shaer. ”I see this as a continued expression of solidarity we first felt five years ago … it’s what matters to the people of Israel and to the Jewish world in general,” she said, adding that despite the time that has passed, the pain “is still great … it’s indescribable.”
The theme of Israel's 71st Independence Day celebrations on May 8, will be “saluting the Israeli spirit.”
In first, three people will be allowed to light a ceremonial torch at this year's 71st Independence Day celebrations as mothers of Naftali Frenkel, Gil-Ad Shaer and Eyal Yifrah - brutally killed by Hamas operatives in June 2014 - say they’re overwhelmed with emotions
The mothers of the three Israeli teens who were abducted and brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists five years ago, will be honored by lighting a ceremonial torch at this year’s Independence Day celebrations.
The three Israeli teens - Naftali Frenkel, Gil-Ad Shaer and Eyal Yifrah - disappeared June 12, 2014 only to be found dead three weeks later after a massive Israel Defense Forces search mission. A senior Hamas religious figure later admitted the terror group had carried out the kidnap.
The mothers of the there - Rachel Frenkel, Bat Galim Shaer and Iris Yifrach - will be the first trio to light the ceremonial torch in unison, after the organizers made an exception to the standard procedures which allow only two people to light the torch at the same time.
The three women have been working for the past few years to promote national unity and - in cooperation with Jerusalem Municipality and the Jerusalem-based Gesher NGO (dedicated to closing social gaps in the Israeli society) - established the Jerusalem Unity Prize in memory of their sons, celebrating “contributions to the solidarity of the Israeli nation.”
"We have mixed feelings, because the ones who truly deserve this honor is not us but rather the people who have worked so hard to create national solidarity," said Rachel Frenkel.
“I'm shocked and excited,” said Iris Yifrach. “It’s been five years since the abduction and now all of a sudden we’ve been asked to light the torch. Although it’s painful, it’s also exciting that the entire nation will once again feel united.”
“I’m overwhelmed with emotions,” said Bat Galim Shaer. ”I see this as a continued expression of solidarity we first felt five years ago … it’s what matters to the people of Israel and to the Jewish world in general,” she said, adding that despite the time that has passed, the pain “is still great … it’s indescribable.”
The theme of Israel's 71st Independence Day celebrations on May 8, will be “saluting the Israeli spirit.”
3 july 2018
Family of Naftali Frenkel, who was kidnapped and murdered by Hamas terrorists along with two other teens, files lawsuit against Iran and Syria for allegedly supplying money to the terrorists who carried out the attack; court awards them small amount of damages, explaining family took its chances when it chose to live beyond the Green Line and sending its son to a school near Hebron.
In December 2016, Racheli Frenkel appeared before a federal judge in Washington and painfully recounted the moments of horrors from the night her life was shattered, when her son Naftali was kidnapped and murdered by Hamas terrorists along with his friends Eyal Yifrach and Gil-Ad Shaer.
Now, a year and a half later, Ynet has obtained the court ruling in the lawsuit filed by the Frenkel family against Iran and Syria in a bid to hold them accountable for Naftali's murder.
The American court accepted the family's claims, but chose to award them a very small amount in compensation, arguing that the family had taken its chances when it chose to live in the West Bank.
The original verdict, handed down in March 2017, recognized the Frenkel family's right to sue Iran and Syria for their son's murder as American citizens. "The death of Naftali Frenkel was a tragic event for which money can never compensate his family," Federal Judge Rosemary Mayers Collyer.
"Iran and Syria did provide material support and resources to Hamas in Israel, which contributed to the hostage taking and murder of Naftali Frenkel," the judge ruled and ordered the defendants to pay $4.1 million in damages although the family sought damages of $340 million.
The Frenkel family appealed the amount of damages, which it wouldn’t have received in any event due to Syria and Iran's refusal to respond to the legal proceeding. The judge refused to reconsider her decision, stating that the plaintiffs had taken the risk involved in living beyond the Green Line in Israel and sending Naftali Frenkel a further 40 kilometers into the West Bank to a school in Gush Etzion, 6 kilometers from the city of Hebron.
In an attempt to explain the decision to award the family a relatively small sum compared to similar claims filed in the past, the judge said that Naftali Frenkel and the two other teens were kidnapped and murdered for being Jewish and Israeli teens. She stressed that Naftali wasn't selected because he was an American citizen who accidentally got involved in the conflict. On the contrary, she said, Hamas saw him as a target because of his Israeli citizenship.
The judge clarified that while these facts won't alleviate the plaintiffs' grief or loss, they do affect the remedy they are entitled to in terms of civil damages.
Naftali's mother, Racheli, was shocked by the judge's comment. "This is unthinkable," she said. "The children were on their way home from school. How can the teens be responsible for their own death?"
The family members turned to the United States courts of appeals together with attorneys Nitsana Darshan-Leitner and Robert Tolchin, claiming that the court overstepped its authority and involved unlawful considerations in its decision on the amount of damages.
About a month ago, the court accepted most of the family's claims and handed the case back to Judge Collyer, clarifying that no guilt should be ascribed to the victim and that the damages should be increased. Collyer is expected to make a decision on the matter soon.
"We filed the claim to 'irritate the bad guys,'" Racheli Frenkel explained. "There are many ways to fight terror, and in this case we are trying to put financial obstacles in their way. Even if a large sum of money is awarded, no one will enforce the ruling. We don't actually expect to receive the money."
Frenkel referred to the original ruling as "outrageous," adding that "the boys were on their way home from school. Does that make it okay to kill them?"
Attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner said, "We are glad that the court of appeals ruled that Naftali shouldn’t have expected to be murdered by Palestinian terrorists because he studied beyond the Green Line. The statement that the Frenkel family took the risk of being kidnapped and murdered because of their place of residence justifies terrorism and violence against innocent civilians. Moreover, when such a statement is issued by a court—alongside a financial reward to Palestinian terrorists—it may encourage further acts of terror, in Israel and worldwide."
"This is a case of blaming the victim," Racheli Frenkel told Ynet on Tuesday.
"The appeals court said this was outrageous," she said. "We are trying to manage these things logically rather than emotionally, but it's infuriating. The judge said we live in the territories, so we are partly guilty. We live several minutes from Latrun (in the community of Nof Ayalon within the Green Line), but that doesn’t matter. If I lived in Elkana, would it mean it's okay to murder me?
"We sued Iran and Syria because we had solid intelligence reports that the money that funded that terrorism came from Iran, went through Gaza and reached Hebron. No one disputed the intelligence part. They accepted Iran and Syria's accountability. Then the legal path moved to the damages issue. You have to prove that you're miserable after losing your son and that your life has been affected. That's a difficult ordeal. So we went there and opened all our wounds.
"It's not that (Iranian Supreme Leader Ali) Khamenei will come to our house with a check and say, 'Oops, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fund terrorism.' The idea is to put financial obstacles in the terror organizations' way so that they won't have a free economy and won't be able to trade with terrorism in the stock exchange, like they have done in previous years and do what they want. The goal of these trials is to make their life difficult. The judge said outrageous things, we appealed, and the higher court said she was wrong."
In December 2016, Racheli Frenkel appeared before a federal judge in Washington and painfully recounted the moments of horrors from the night her life was shattered, when her son Naftali was kidnapped and murdered by Hamas terrorists along with his friends Eyal Yifrach and Gil-Ad Shaer.
Now, a year and a half later, Ynet has obtained the court ruling in the lawsuit filed by the Frenkel family against Iran and Syria in a bid to hold them accountable for Naftali's murder.
The American court accepted the family's claims, but chose to award them a very small amount in compensation, arguing that the family had taken its chances when it chose to live in the West Bank.
The original verdict, handed down in March 2017, recognized the Frenkel family's right to sue Iran and Syria for their son's murder as American citizens. "The death of Naftali Frenkel was a tragic event for which money can never compensate his family," Federal Judge Rosemary Mayers Collyer.
"Iran and Syria did provide material support and resources to Hamas in Israel, which contributed to the hostage taking and murder of Naftali Frenkel," the judge ruled and ordered the defendants to pay $4.1 million in damages although the family sought damages of $340 million.
The Frenkel family appealed the amount of damages, which it wouldn’t have received in any event due to Syria and Iran's refusal to respond to the legal proceeding. The judge refused to reconsider her decision, stating that the plaintiffs had taken the risk involved in living beyond the Green Line in Israel and sending Naftali Frenkel a further 40 kilometers into the West Bank to a school in Gush Etzion, 6 kilometers from the city of Hebron.
In an attempt to explain the decision to award the family a relatively small sum compared to similar claims filed in the past, the judge said that Naftali Frenkel and the two other teens were kidnapped and murdered for being Jewish and Israeli teens. She stressed that Naftali wasn't selected because he was an American citizen who accidentally got involved in the conflict. On the contrary, she said, Hamas saw him as a target because of his Israeli citizenship.
The judge clarified that while these facts won't alleviate the plaintiffs' grief or loss, they do affect the remedy they are entitled to in terms of civil damages.
Naftali's mother, Racheli, was shocked by the judge's comment. "This is unthinkable," she said. "The children were on their way home from school. How can the teens be responsible for their own death?"
The family members turned to the United States courts of appeals together with attorneys Nitsana Darshan-Leitner and Robert Tolchin, claiming that the court overstepped its authority and involved unlawful considerations in its decision on the amount of damages.
About a month ago, the court accepted most of the family's claims and handed the case back to Judge Collyer, clarifying that no guilt should be ascribed to the victim and that the damages should be increased. Collyer is expected to make a decision on the matter soon.
"We filed the claim to 'irritate the bad guys,'" Racheli Frenkel explained. "There are many ways to fight terror, and in this case we are trying to put financial obstacles in their way. Even if a large sum of money is awarded, no one will enforce the ruling. We don't actually expect to receive the money."
Frenkel referred to the original ruling as "outrageous," adding that "the boys were on their way home from school. Does that make it okay to kill them?"
Attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner said, "We are glad that the court of appeals ruled that Naftali shouldn’t have expected to be murdered by Palestinian terrorists because he studied beyond the Green Line. The statement that the Frenkel family took the risk of being kidnapped and murdered because of their place of residence justifies terrorism and violence against innocent civilians. Moreover, when such a statement is issued by a court—alongside a financial reward to Palestinian terrorists—it may encourage further acts of terror, in Israel and worldwide."
"This is a case of blaming the victim," Racheli Frenkel told Ynet on Tuesday.
"The appeals court said this was outrageous," she said. "We are trying to manage these things logically rather than emotionally, but it's infuriating. The judge said we live in the territories, so we are partly guilty. We live several minutes from Latrun (in the community of Nof Ayalon within the Green Line), but that doesn’t matter. If I lived in Elkana, would it mean it's okay to murder me?
"We sued Iran and Syria because we had solid intelligence reports that the money that funded that terrorism came from Iran, went through Gaza and reached Hebron. No one disputed the intelligence part. They accepted Iran and Syria's accountability. Then the legal path moved to the damages issue. You have to prove that you're miserable after losing your son and that your life has been affected. That's a difficult ordeal. So we went there and opened all our wounds.
"It's not that (Iranian Supreme Leader Ali) Khamenei will come to our house with a check and say, 'Oops, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fund terrorism.' The idea is to put financial obstacles in the terror organizations' way so that they won't have a free economy and won't be able to trade with terrorism in the stock exchange, like they have done in previous years and do what they want. The goal of these trials is to make their life difficult. The judge said outrageous things, we appealed, and the higher court said she was wrong."
14 mar 2018
State comptroller criticizes police for not taking necessary steps advised by a fact-finding committee in the wake of 2014 kidnapping and murder by Hamas terrorists of Gil-Ad Shaer, Naftali Frenkel, and Eyal Yifrah; 2 years after incident, police had still not implemented conclusions, report says; police: ‘We welcome the report.’
Police have failed to implement the lessons drawn from the investigation into the 2014 kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank by Hamas terrorists, according to a report published Wednesday by State Comptroller Yosef Shapira.
The conclusions drawn by a fact-finding committee established, in the wake of the June 12 kidnapping and murder of Gil-Ad Shaer (16), Naftali Frenkel (16) and Eyal Yifrah (19), were supposed to improve the functionality of the Judea and Samaria District Police central command headquarters.
The bodies of the three teens’ bodies were found in a ditch north of Halhul in the Hebron area.
During the incident, one of the teenagers managed to call the Judea and Samaria District Police after being crammed into a vehicle and report the incident, but the operator failed to take the call seriously.
Following the kidnapping, the then Police Commissioner Yohanan Danino set up a fact-finding committee to look into the police’s conduct in the initial stages of the incident.
According to the committee’s published findings, “the Judea and Samaria Police District’s Operational Headquarters should have compiled the various reports, coordinated between the different police districts and reported to a senior commanding officer ... about the unusual incident.”
The committee recommended, among other things, “adding more officers with experience in the field that can be demonstrated in the manner in which the control center deals with things in different instances.”
In addition, it was recommended that professional training be conducted for all police officers in the Judea and Samaria District Police control center.
The state comptroller told the police that the main lessons that had emerged from the investigation were about the need to improve the functionality of the 100 emergency hotline, with an emphasis on the improvement of technology in the centers, and that the Israel Police must promote the changes as soon as possible.
Shapira also told the police that on the day of the completion of the findings, January 2017—2 years after the incident—the police had still not implemented the conclusions. Furthermore, he warned that the situation as its stands could harm the abilities of the local forces to respond efficiently to emergency incidents and therefore have a negative impact on the public’s faith in the police.
Therefore, the state comptroller has urged the current Police Commissioner Ron Alsheikh to take urgent action to implement the required steps to improve the functionality of the control centers of the Judea and Samaria District Police based on the report’s conclusions.
The state comptroller also took issue with the building in which the control center is currently located. Since the control center is unprotected and has no alternative center, he wrote, the operational capacity of the district may be impaired, and its ability to maintain functional continuity during an emergency may be compromised.
Therefore, he emphasized the importance of the creation of a permanently housed and fortified structure for the control center.
Responding to Shapiro’s findings, the police said it “welcomes the report by the state comptroller, is adopting its conclusions and will act to implement the matters that are raised in it.
“Moreover, a large proportion of the statements that were made in the report were examined and adopted by the police before its publication as a result of monitoring and learning processes conducted by the police on a regular basis.”
Regarding the Judea and Samaria District Police’s control center the police said: “In the context of organizational processes that began in 2016 with regard to building of forces, they were carried out and more significant organizational changes are expected in the locality, including the building of two new police stations and the adding of standards and manpower for optimal coping with the various challenges.”
The local control center that provides a comprehensive answer to hundreds of thousands of calls by civilians every year, the statement continued, “has undergone a significant upgrade and today all control center officers are graduates of professional training.
“Moreover, in the near future a new and fortified control center is expected to start being built. In accordance with the challenges faced by the the Judea and Samaria District Police and the various threats, in the last few years comprehensive staff work has been carried out in the field of armored vehicles, while examining the various alternatives in a manner that will provide an optimal and professional long-term solution.”
Police have failed to implement the lessons drawn from the investigation into the 2014 kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank by Hamas terrorists, according to a report published Wednesday by State Comptroller Yosef Shapira.
The conclusions drawn by a fact-finding committee established, in the wake of the June 12 kidnapping and murder of Gil-Ad Shaer (16), Naftali Frenkel (16) and Eyal Yifrah (19), were supposed to improve the functionality of the Judea and Samaria District Police central command headquarters.
The bodies of the three teens’ bodies were found in a ditch north of Halhul in the Hebron area.
During the incident, one of the teenagers managed to call the Judea and Samaria District Police after being crammed into a vehicle and report the incident, but the operator failed to take the call seriously.
Following the kidnapping, the then Police Commissioner Yohanan Danino set up a fact-finding committee to look into the police’s conduct in the initial stages of the incident.
According to the committee’s published findings, “the Judea and Samaria Police District’s Operational Headquarters should have compiled the various reports, coordinated between the different police districts and reported to a senior commanding officer ... about the unusual incident.”
The committee recommended, among other things, “adding more officers with experience in the field that can be demonstrated in the manner in which the control center deals with things in different instances.”
In addition, it was recommended that professional training be conducted for all police officers in the Judea and Samaria District Police control center.
The state comptroller told the police that the main lessons that had emerged from the investigation were about the need to improve the functionality of the 100 emergency hotline, with an emphasis on the improvement of technology in the centers, and that the Israel Police must promote the changes as soon as possible.
Shapira also told the police that on the day of the completion of the findings, January 2017—2 years after the incident—the police had still not implemented the conclusions. Furthermore, he warned that the situation as its stands could harm the abilities of the local forces to respond efficiently to emergency incidents and therefore have a negative impact on the public’s faith in the police.
Therefore, the state comptroller has urged the current Police Commissioner Ron Alsheikh to take urgent action to implement the required steps to improve the functionality of the control centers of the Judea and Samaria District Police based on the report’s conclusions.
The state comptroller also took issue with the building in which the control center is currently located. Since the control center is unprotected and has no alternative center, he wrote, the operational capacity of the district may be impaired, and its ability to maintain functional continuity during an emergency may be compromised.
Therefore, he emphasized the importance of the creation of a permanently housed and fortified structure for the control center.
Responding to Shapiro’s findings, the police said it “welcomes the report by the state comptroller, is adopting its conclusions and will act to implement the matters that are raised in it.
“Moreover, a large proportion of the statements that were made in the report were examined and adopted by the police before its publication as a result of monitoring and learning processes conducted by the police on a regular basis.”
Regarding the Judea and Samaria District Police’s control center the police said: “In the context of organizational processes that began in 2016 with regard to building of forces, they were carried out and more significant organizational changes are expected in the locality, including the building of two new police stations and the adding of standards and manpower for optimal coping with the various challenges.”
The local control center that provides a comprehensive answer to hundreds of thousands of calls by civilians every year, the statement continued, “has undergone a significant upgrade and today all control center officers are graduates of professional training.
“Moreover, in the near future a new and fortified control center is expected to start being built. In accordance with the challenges faced by the the Judea and Samaria District Police and the various threats, in the last few years comprehensive staff work has been carried out in the field of armored vehicles, while examining the various alternatives in a manner that will provide an optimal and professional long-term solution.”
