An atmosphere of deepening apprehension and outright fear in some quarters over the security situation in the wake of a spate of terror attacks here has spread even to Israel’s Cabinet.
Government ministers on Sunday argued vigorously about an unprecedented statement made over the weekend by the nation’s police chief that all citizens with gun licenses should carry their weapons with them at all times.
The heightened level of concern came as the country learned over the weekend of two more brutal murders.
Last Friday, Palestinian militants hacked to death with axes a 51-year-old Israeli woman, Simcha Levy, who regularly shuttled Arab laborers from the Gaza Strip to farms in Israel proper.
The same day, the army found the body of one of its soldiers, 24-year-old Yehoshua Fried-berg, dumped on the side of the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway after he apparently was kidnapped and shot through the heart three times at close range.
The killings followed four other fatal attacks in the preceding two weeks and a number of less-mortal stabbing incidents.
The call to arms by Police Inspector-General Yaacov Terner had some Cabinet ministers worried that the appeal could depress the public mood further and decrease confidence in the army and the security services.
Ministers also were concerned the remarks might encourage both soldiers and civilians to shoot first and ask questions later.
Labor and Social Affairs Minister Ora Namir of the Labor Party spoke of the risk of inciting a “Wild West-type” culture in the country and termed Terner’s proposal “irresponsible.”
POLICE FORCE BEEFED UP
But Terner defended his decision.
In comments to the media, the police chief recalled that a number of past terrorist attacks had been prevented by the intervention of armed civilians.
“Rather than keep their pistols in their safes,” Terner said, “I would prefer people to wear them.”
The Cabinet, meeting under the chairmanship of Shimon Peres while Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was abroad on a visit to the United States, made a number of operational decisions in the realm of security, some of which were not made public.
It moved to increase the size of the national police force and also discussed favorably a proposal to replace Palestinian agricultural workers with Jewish workers.
A number of Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip have already announced their firm determination to replace all of their Palestinian employees, but they are looking to the government to subsidize the additional cost of hiring Jewish labor.
Cabinet ministers said they would not support importing Thai or other foreign workers, when so many new immigrants and veteran Israelis are unemployed.
As the Cabinet met more violence in the territories was reported. A 3-year-old Palestinian girl from the West Bank town of Hebron died from wounds suffered when she was hit in the stomach by shots fired by Israeli soldiers Saturday night as she sat in the back of her father’s car.
The army said the car had failed to stop at a military roadblock. The spokesman said the soldiers had acted according to standing orders when they opened fire at the vehicle.
PFLP GANG CLAIMS CREDIT
Meanwhile, security forces searched for the killers of the soldier found dead on the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway. Friedberg, who immigrated from Montreal two years ago, disappeared March 7 when he was en route to the Tel Hashomer army base, where he was scheduled to take an exam early Sunday morning.
Friedberg’s friends and family have complained that the army delayed investigating his case for several days. They charged that despite their repeated calls beginning March 7, the army did not begin a full search until four days later.
The army defended its actions, saying the military police were notified on the morning of March 8 that Friedberg had not showed up for his exam the day before.
Friedberg, also a yeshiva student, was due to be discharged from the army in two weeks.
In Montreal, the Canadian Jewish Congress extended its condolences to Friedberg’s family.
The murder of Levy in Gaza also shocked Israelis. The Red Eagles, an armed group affiliated with the George Habash’s Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Levy, a longtime resident of Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip, apparently was killed by men disguised as women who flagged her down for a ride.
Sources said her murder showed signs of being carefully planned, possibly with the help of someone who rode with her regularly and knew her schedule and route.
Levy, who according to her friends believed strongly in building bridges between Palestinians and Jews, had been warned repeatedly by the military that her work was dangerous.
Friends said she insisted she knew the Arabs she drove and that they would not hurt her.
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.
