IDF Homefront Command officials in the coming weeks hope to significantly reduce the number of soldiers serving as sentries on yishuvim, Jewish communities located throughout Yehuda and Shomron.

Shlomo Vaknin, the security officer of the Yesha Settlement Council expressed concerns, stating any reduction in the number of troops serving in yishuvim is bad, and contributes to the further deteriorating of deterrence abilities of communities, not only against terrorists, but even against theft and other crimes.

Vaknin stated that even the low-level combatants currently stationed in communities, as well as non-combat officers, do indeed serve as a deterrent and removing them from the current arrangement will negatively impact security in Yesha communities.

Officials in the IDF’s Central Command, responsible for all of Yehuda and Shomron, are signaling that in the coming weeks and months, they hope to further reduce the number of IDF personnel assigned to sentry duty in yishuvim.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)