Police and local authorities are considering the possibility of establishing a civil guard on a national basis in the wake of yesterday’s terrorist attack in Nahariya. Up to now, each locality has formed its own civil guard. It was members of the Nahariya civil guard who first spotted the terrorists and fought them until security forces arrived. As a nucleus of a national guard, the police high command is considering cal- ling of retired policemen and army veterans, as well as retired civil servants and others.
Meanwhile in Nahariya, many people enrolled yesterday in the civil guard which now numbers 900 men. They have been patrolling the town which has still not recovered from the horrors of yesterday. Since the recent outbreak of terrorism, civil guards have been formed in Tel Aviv. Haifa, Nazareth and other areas. Parents of school children have been maintaining guard shifts around the schools and search the schools before classes start each morning. Strict security is being taken at summer camps, although it is expected that fewer parents will be sending children to the camps this year because of the fear of terrorism.
Officials said today that hotels in the seaside resort report almost no cancellations. Nahariya is the year around honeymoon capital of Israel and 28 couples arrived yesterday. Teams of workers started today to repair the damage to the house on Balfour Street where an Israeli woman and her two children were killed yesterday.
Israeli military sources said that an investigation may be held of how the terrorists in their rubber dinghy slipped through maritime patrols and other security devices. At the same time, ways are being studied to prevent such infiltration in the future.
(Commenting on the tragedy, Paul Zuckerman general chairman of the United Jewish Appeal, declared “All civilized human beings are outraged at the mindless brutality which has taken lives again simply because they were Jewish.” He added that “the unity and responsibility of American Jewry toward the people of Israel can never be stronger in purpose, even in sorrow.”)
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
