Officials said the Defense Ministry has directed the Army and security
forces to train for the prospect of Arab and Jewish unrest in the West Bank.
They said the ministry has assessed that violence could erupt amid Jewish
efforts to renew construction in the region following a 10-month government
ban scheduled to expire in September 2010. Netanyahu had pledged to approve new construction upon expiration
of the freeze.
"There is rising tension in the area — both Arab and Jewish," an
official said. "We must have more and better-trained forces."
On July 1, the Israel Border Police conducted a major exercise in the
West Bank in an effort to enhance anti-riot capabilities. The exercise was
said to have consisted of more than 400 border officers in scenarios that
included Israeli demonstrations and Palestinian attacks.
In one scenario, troops raided a Jewish community and confiscated
weapons. Many Jewish residents of the West Bank have been licensed to carry
firearms, including those issued by the military.
Officials said the Defense Ministry plans to assign another 600 border
police officers to the West Bank by October 2010. They said the units would
come from inside Israel as well as along the border with Jordan.
The Border Police was expected to be the lead force in battling Jewish
unrest in the West Bank. In April 2010, the military's Central Command
established a task force comprised of border officers in an effort to
rapidly respond to Palestinian complaints of Israeli vandalism around
Nablus.