Israeli security forces
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Security forces in Israel include a variety of organizations, including law enforcement, military, paramilitary, governmental, and intelligence agencies.
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[edit] Israel Police
A civilian force. As with most other police forces in the world, their duties include fighting crime, traffic control and maintaining public safety.
- Border Police (Magav): the combat arm of the Israeli Police. Border Police troops are trained by the IDF in high infantry level but serve under the police. They are deployed in the West Bank and in the countryside. They are also deployed on the borders of Israel.
- Yamam (Special Police Unit) and Yasam (Special Patrol Unit): elite counter-terrorism units.
- Civil Guard: a volunteer organization of citizens which assists in daily police work. Members are trained to provide the initial response to a security situation until the police arrive. Civil Guard volunteers are armed with M4 Carbine and personal handguns. The Civil Guard also have special units, but their members require additional training and a higher level of commitment.
[edit] Israeli FBI-Lahav 433
Lahav 433 is a new Israeli crime-fighting umbrella organization that will consolidate five law enforcement offices into one, its role will be similar to that of the American FBI.
The new office, dubbed Lahav 433, will focus police efforts to battle national crime and corruption into one bureau to more effectively conduct investigations and exchange information and to combat organized crime with a united front.
The new bureau will be headed by Major-General Yoav Segalovich and will incorporate five separate police units including the Etgar Vehicle Theft Prevention Unit, the National Serious International Crimes Unit, the National Fraud Unit, the Economic Crimes Unit, and the Police Gidonim unit.
[edit] Intelligence Community
- Shabak (Israel Security Agency) Sherut HaBitahon HaKlali: Shabak's duties are to protect ministers and high public officials (such as the president or the head of police), to prevent violent insurrection, to gather intelligence, and to pinpoint terrorist cells and prevent them from causing damage. Shabak was formerly called the General Security Service (GSS), but is now known as the Israel Security Agency (ISA).[1][2]
- Mossad (The Institute) HaMosad LeModi'in ULeTafkidim Meyuhadim (Hebrew: המוסד למודיעין ולתפקידים מיוחדים, "The Institute for Intelligence and for Special Tasks"): the Mossad is an Israeli intelligence agency. It is responsible for intelligence collection, covert action (including paramilitary activities) and counter-terrorism. Its focus is on internal and external threats to national security.
- Aman (Directorate of Military Intelligence) Agaf HaModi'in: Military intelligence, or Aman, produces comprehensive national intelligence estimates for the prime minister and cabinet, daily intelligence reports, risk of war estimates, target studies on nearby countries, and communications intercepts. Aman also conducts across-border agent operations. Aman is an independent service, co-equal with the army, navy and air force. Aman has an estimated staff of 7,000.[3]
[edit] Emergency services
- Magen David Adom (Red Shield of David): Magen David Adom (MDA) is made up of volunteer and professional medical responders and provides the Israel's pre-hospital emergency medical needs, including disaster, ambulance, and blood services.[4]
- Israel Fire and Rescue Services: They are responsible for extinguishing fires and extracting people trapped in structures (ranging from stuck elevators to collapsed buildings).
- Home Front Command: part of the IDF. A military rescue team which handles large-scale civilian disasters such as earthquakes, collapsed buildings and missile attacks on cities.
- ZAKA (Identification and Rescue - True Kindness): ZAKA is a non-governmental volunteer agency responsible for rescue, life saving and recovery. Members work alongside law enforcement and emergency personnel when responding to incidents of terrorism, accidents, or disasters. It is a humanitarian agency, mostly made up of Haredi Jews who assume the duty of collecting human remains to provide those remains a proper Jewish burial, known as Chesed Shel Emet, "True Virtue." ZAKA is an international organization, with offices in Israel and New York, and has dispatched volunteers to disasters throughout the world.[5] The Israeli government recognizes ZAKA as part of the security apparatus, because volunteers are trained by the Israel Police and Magen David Adom.[6]
- Unit 669: the Israeli Air Force heliborne medevac extraction unit.
- Local Rescue teams on each of the Galilee, the Golan Heights and the Negev.
[edit] Other Organizations
- Israel Prison Service: Sherut Batei ha-Sohar: The Israel Prison Service (IPS), sometimes called by its acronym SHABAS, is a security organization which is an integral part of Israel’s system of law enforcement. Its chief roles include the holding of prisoners and detainees under secure and suitable conditions, while preserving their dignity, and meeting their basic needs. The IPS coordinates with relevant national, regional and municipal authorities and organizations.[7]
- Knesset Guard: The Knesset has its own guard and usher unit, headed by the Sergeant-at-Arms. The Knesset Guard is in charge of security in the Knesset compound and building. The Serjeant-at-Arms ("Katzin ha-Knesset") is the commander of the Knesset Guard.[8]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Israeli Weapons (unofficial website)
- isayeret.com - Israeli Special Forces Database (pay site for non-Israeli visitors)
- Israeli Intelligence Legacy Center (Hebrew)
- Shin Bet (FAS)
