A security officer in Modi’in Illit decided to hold a security drill without informing anyone, leading to a measure of panic. The officer shouted “there is a terrorist in the building”, leading to panic among students. School administrators were not informed of his plan in advance.

The incident occurred in the beginning of the week when the city’s security officer arrived in the school and announced there is a terrorist in the building via the schools PA system. He told listeners the terrorist was already striking out at students.

The security officer waited a bit of time before announcing it was only a drill to observe the response of staff and students alike. Some parents explain their daughters are quite shaken up from the ordeal and the security officer has been instructed that in the future, school officials must be informed in advance. They rebuked him for conducting this type of event at such a sensitive time.

The security officer insists he told school officials for weeks that he was planning the drill.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)