Rising tensions along the northern border accompanied by cuts in the defense budget and local patrols have many northern border community residents more than a bit concerned.

Israel’s northern border has been heating up since Operation Protective Edge. In recent weeks, there has been a dramatic increase in applications for a handgun permit filed by residents of border communities.

Deputy Head of the Maale Yosef Regional Council Yossi Adoni is quoted telling Walla News that residents are truly afraid that Hizbullah terrorists will succeed infiltrating into one of the area communities.

Walla adds that the armory in Moshav Alonei HaBashan, which is near Quneitra where the fighting between government forces and rebels has been heavy, have almost been emptied in the past two months. Members of the first response team have opted to keep 80% of the weapons stored in the armory in their homes. In kibbutzim in the Upper Galil Regional Council have been instructed to keep weapons at home and not in the armory. They want to have the first response team ready at a moment’s notice, eliminating the need to head to the armory for their weapons in an emergency.

In the Maale Yosef Regional Council which is situated in the Western Galil, there has been a 60% increase in the number of weapons taken from local armories to be kept in the homes of first response team members.

Talk of Hizbullah terror tunnels similar to those discovered along the Gaza border have area residents seriously concerned.

With the cuts in defense spending on a national level there is no longer an IDF presence as the soldiers who used to monitor the sentry posts in border communities have been taken away, leaving civilians to fend for themselves. The budgets cuts have also resulted in security lights remaining on for fewer hours. Communities have fewer two-way radios and pagers to alert residents of security incidents. There are also fewer civilian security officers since the budget for those positions has vanished too.

Some Golan Heights residents explain that for now, the rebels and Syrian forces are busy killing one another but the moment that ends, they will both look in the direction of Israel and the must be prepared. Residents explain that they have begun locking the doors of their homes fearing a terrorist infiltration.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)