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Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz (center) walks among police to a meeting with settlers at Homesh. (AP)
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06/09
Ynetnews |
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06/09
Ynetnews |
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06/09
Haaretz |
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| By Israel Insider staff and partners June 9, 2005 |
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The objective of the move is to prepare the forces to work together once settlement evacuation rolls around, IDF Psychology Division official Tzur Keren said. "For two weeks they'll study together, sleep together, eat together, do everything together," he said.
In a talk with Ynet, Keren discussed the challenges faced by the IDF ahead of the disengagement and revealed how the army plans to connect soldiers slated to carry out the evacuation.
The various forces slated to take part in the mission comes from a different operational culture and possess a different worldview, he said.
"Even the uniforms and ranks are different, and those are the people that would have to perform this sensitive, complex task," he said. "A team that is supposed to work together requires social cohesion, that feeling of 'togetherness'," he said. "We only have several months to prepare everybody."
The training sessions will last for two weeks and take place at a southern training base about three weeks before the pullout rolls around.
"We want to minimize the gaps so that on the day their mission starts on the ground they will be able to work together," Keren said, and noted that a senior organizational consultant would be deployed at each regiment.
The process of learning will continue even once the evacuation begins, he said, and noted the organizational consultants would be able to recommend certain measures should they identify specific problems.
In the meantime, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz met with Palestinian Interior Minister Nasser Yousef to demand that Palestinians train more police officers to deal with terrorists during the upcoming withdrawal, in order to stop Palestinians from launching attacks or looting settler homes during the pullout.
In a meeting with PA Interior Minister Nasser Yousef, Mofaz said Israel would pass on its timetable on the pullout, set to begin in August, to the Palestinians.
The two figures also agreed to create three coordination channels ahead of the upcoming pullout. The channels will start operating as early as next week.
"The two ministers agreed to coordinate the security side of the withdrawal at the ministerial level and on the level of security planning," said Tawfiq Abu-Khoussa, a spokesman for Youssef. "They plan to tackle every detail of the withdrawal plan."
The first channel of communication would be between the ministers themselves, the second channel would be headed by a senior IDF official and other security officials, and a third channel would consist of officials on the ground.
An Israeli Defense Ministry official said there would be "coordination in the field" to enable the Palestinians to deploy security forces "to make sure that terrorists don't take over" areas vacated by Israel.
Israel would inform the Palestinians in advance when settlements were to be evacuated so "the Palestinians would take care that terrorist groups don't interfere", the official said
Mofaz also demanded that the Palestinians prepare to prevent mortar fire and arms smuggling into the Gaza Strip during the disengagement.
Earlier Wednesday, the Air Force launched a missile strike against terrorists in Khan Younis refugee camp in Gaza who carried mortar bombs in their vehicles, causing no casualties. Terrorists killed three people , a Chinese laborer and two Palestinian farm workers, in a mortar bomb attack on the settlement of Ganei Tal Tuesday.
Abbas said the IAF airstrike was "unjust" and aimed to disrupt the cease-fire.
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