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15 Av 5762 - July 24, 2002 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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NEWS
Suggestions Ignored in Emanuel
by Aryeh Zissman

Following the terrorist attack in Emanuel last Chanukah, every time Council Head Rabbi Issachar Frankentahl tried to point out areas of negligence in guarding the Samarian town, IDF officials dismissed his suggestions offhand and told him to allow the army to handle the matter without outside interference.

Rabbi Frankentahl made no effort to hide his concerns. The previous attack had a major impact on Emanuel residents, altering their traveling habits and upsetting the sense of relative safety they once felt.

The first 15 months of the Intifadah left Emanuel residents virtually untouched by the violence, as if terrorist organizations had overlooked the Emanuel sector. Following last week's severe attack public attention again focused on the town.

"I was concerned over the possibility of another serious incident," Rabbi Frankentahl told Yated Ne'eman. "[Following] the previous incident people thought it was just a problem of armoring the buses and focused their attention only on this. I warned that there was a general problem concerning the protection of the settlement, but the army told me, `Let us take care of the matter by ourselves. You can count on us.' I offered numerous suggestions, but they would not listen."

One of the Local Council Head's suggestions was to move the main gate several miles forward in order to buttress security at the site of the first attack, later the site of the second attack as well. His request was denied. Neither did the army honor his demand to lay bare the hilltop where the terrorists launched the first massacre. "There is a legal problem involved in removing olive trees," IDF officials said, explaining why only a few bushes were cleared.

"I admit I don't understand military matters," Rabbi Frankentahl lamented. "All of my requests were met with replies of `We have our own warfare guidelines. Leave the job to us.' The request to establish fixed lookout posts near the entrance to the town was also rejected. The IDF claimed lookouts would draw gunfire and terrorists would regard them as a target. Therefore the army promised to set up mobile lookouts." The preventative steps taken by the army were to no avail. Last Tuesday another booby trap was laid and the results were heartbreaking.

 

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