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Commentary;
Marzel’s got a point about the possibility of Arabs infiltrating the base. This author has never seen a picture of Itamar Ben-Gvir before, but the higher media profile Marzel is definitely known. So if young soldiers can’t visually distinguish Marzel from other soldiers “coming for an exercise,” its a sad commentary on the awareness of most Israelis. Marzel and Ben-Gvir did the IDF a great service. But the IDF wears pie on its face.
Hopefully, the guards will receive better training in the future, rather than having to spend days in the slammer as is commonly meted out to soldiers who make this type of mistake of non-recognition which is later publicized in the media. Hopefully, young soldiers will learn to be attentive to the faces of national personalities. MB
Marzel, Ben-Gvir Infiltrate IDF Base in Judea
Full Text;
Jewish National Front leader Baruch Marzel and fellow nationalist activist Itamar Ben-Gvir managed to infiltrate the regional IDF base in Judea on Tuesday shortly before a visit from Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. The two told guards they had come for an exercise, and were let in without further questions. “I hope that if Arabs asked to enter the base they would have acted differently,” Marzel later said.
The two were discovered after several minutes when a captain recognized them. Soldiers and police immediately forced them to leave.
Marzel said the two had entered the base in order to tell Olmert that he was not wanted in Hevron, and that he should go to Ramallah instead. Marzel and other Jewish residents of Hevron sent a letter to Olmert on Monday telling him he was not wanted in their neighborhood. Olmert visited on Tuesday as planned despite the letter.