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IDF: Don't Let the Quiet Fool You
(Ha'aretz) Amos Harel - "Don't let the quiet fool you," Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz warned on the eve of Memorial Day last week. Two days later, members of the General Staff noted that, on the one hand, things are extraordinarily quiet as compared with the past 13 years, and the number of Israelis killed in terrorist activity is, relatively, very low. On the other hand, the instability along Israel's borders makes it difficult for intelligence analysts to predict where or when the next conflict might arise. Palestinian Prisoners Day, which was marked on the day after Israel's Independence Day, went by without any serious violence and with limited participation in rallies and demonstrations, in striking contrast to the numerous confrontations in the West Bank two weeks ago. There was a reason for the quiet: Just as the Palestinian Authority leadership encouraged demonstrations earlier in the month, this time it held them back. Detailed directives to this effect were transmitted to the security units and were strictly enforced at the grass-roots level.