Volunteer civil defense units are being established in Israeli cities to combat a new wave of terrorist activities against civilian centers. The volunteers are persons who have passed the age limits for both active and reserve military duty.
Civilian volunteer units were set up in Haifa last week in the aftermath of a series of bombings that killed two persons and severely damaged five apartment buildings. In Jerusalem, Mayor Teddy Kollek and Police Superintendent David Bareli announced the creation of a civil defense guard in addition to about 120 Haganah veterans who have been serving in that capacity for some time. The volunteers have been given special police powers. Formation of a similar guard was announced in Petach Tikvah. The volunteers are assigned to patrol the streets and the approaches to their towns. They are selected from local residents because they are able to identify strangers entering their towns or neighborhoods.
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