Security chiefs meet amid fear of violence surrounding possible annexation
IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi met with Shin Bet head Nadav Argaman and other senior defense officials to discuss preparations and possible scenarios that could play out.
By ANNA AHRONHEIMIDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi visits Bnei Brak(photo credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)
Top officials from the IDF, as well as the head of the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) Nadav Argaman, met with IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi to discuss and prepare for various scenarios should the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu follow through with plans to annex parts of the West Bank, including the Jordan Valley.The officials met at the IDF Kirya Military Headquarters in Tel Aviv on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the preparations the military and Shin Bet internal security agency and police must take ahead of July 1, the date given by Netanyahu when he intends to apply Israeli law to West Bank settlements and the Jordan Valley.Though the military had already been following diplomatic developments with concern and preparing for potential unrest in response to the move, it was doing so in the dark and with no clear information on what exactly is expected to happen.Netanyahu has stated that he will be applying Israeli sovereignty to West Bank and Jordan Valley on July 1, but it would likely not happen until mid-July or August.Nevertheless, with such a short period given to the defense establishment to prepare for violence, officials have warned it’s not enough time to get ready.Defense officials and analysts have warned of a potentially deadly outbreak of violence should Israel follow through on annexation plans, especially with unemployment soaring in the West Bank.The IDF has been preparing for the various scenarios for several months under the name “Shahar Beharim,” and while it remains unclear what exactly will take place on July 1, the defense establishment has drawn up various scenarios that might arise including lone-wolf attacks by Palestinians, protests, violent large-scale riots or a full-blown uprising on the Palestinian street – a third Intifada.On Wednesday, Mahmoud al-Habbash, religious affairs adviser to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, warned that “the Palestinian street is boiling... Every home, every young person… can turn into a powder keg if Israel carries out the annexation. When a person loses hope for peace and justice he can turn into a bomb.”The military has trained troops for possible escalation scenarios, preparing equipment and weapons, have strengthened coordination with the Shin Bet and police and have examined the legal aspects that such a move would entail such as which body would be in charge of securing the area should annexation take place.While the IDF has not yet deployed additional troops to reinforce those already stationed in the West Bank, there are several reserve battalions that could be called up should violence escalate.
The preparations also take into account a possible escalation with the Gaza Strip, a shift in Jerusalem’s tight security relationship with Jordan with whom Israel shares its longest border and which provides strategic depth for the IDF and a complete end to Israel’s ties with the Palestinian Authority.With tensions rising, the US State Department issued a security alert last week warning American citizens visiting the West Bank that “violence can occur with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, government checkpoints, markets and shopping facilities or government facilities.”On Monday Kochavi met with Defense Minister and Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz who instructed him to “step up preparations” for the possibility that Israel will apply its laws to parts of the West Bank after he and Netanyahu spoke with US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman.Speaking to the Blue and White faction in the Knesset on Monday, Gantz said he instructed Kochavi to prepare “for any possibility of these processes influencing the region” and present him with various scenarios and plans of action.In a statement by his office, Gantz is expected within the coming days to appoint a special representative to coordinate moves between the different government bodies involved in the process as well as a joint team that would bring together recommendations on an operational level – for the efforts that are on the agenda for the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
