Israel needs more than one national counter-terrorsim unit to counter possible terrorist threats in the future, the head of the Israel Police's elite counter-terrorism unit told the police news publication "Mirrors" in a recent interview. "Currently in Israel there is one unit, YAMAM [Yehida Merkazit Meyuhedet, or Special Central Unit], whose missions are to rescue hostages and fight terror, the units commander, idenitified only as B, said in the interview. The Israel Defense Forces has its own special forces. On a national level, Israel needs more than one unit to fight terror. There are many scenarios that require multiple units and forces to work in cohesion, and in this regard, there has been real cooperation between us and the army's special forces." The commander continued, There is no such thing as a fictional scenario in Israel. One of the biggest challenges for the entire security establishment and the police is being prepared for whatever scenario may be lurking around the corner. And whatever it may be, it won't be like anything we've dealt with in the past. There is an ongoing war here between terrorists and those whose duty it is to thwart their plans." Referring to the terror attack near Eilat in August which killed eight Israelis, the commander said, "The terror attack in August, for example, was on a completely different scale than anything we have known to date. There are many terrorists in our region, and they all possess the motivation and capability to perpetrate the next attack ... The [YAMAM] unit's rapid response in the terror attack in Eilat prevented many casualties." A YAMAM officer, Pascal Abrahami, was killed in a gun battle with the terrorists along the Sinai border during the Eilat terror attack. Pascal joined the unit in 1985 and earned the Medal of Distinguished Service in 1995 for storming three terrorists on their way to carry out an attack. The unit's actions in Eilat were only one example of the unit's many activities that do not make headlines, partly because of the secrecy in which it operates but also because of its successes in catching terrorist before they are able to pull off an attack. Police Commander 'B,' who is married and a father of four, served in various elite units in the IDF that paved the way for his command position at YAMAM. He commanded the Shaldag Air Force commandos as well as the elite Air Force search and rescue unit, 669. Asked if there was an element of competition between the IDF's elite counter-terrorism unit and its police counterpart, he replied with a decisive "None whatsoever." More than 1,000 candidates try out for the unit whenever slots open. Only 300 are chosen to advance to the interview phase, and from there only 80 to 100 are chosen for the physical try-outs. By the time training for the unit begins, there are only 15 to 20 candidates left, and by its end only 10 to 15 finish and join the unit. The average age of fighters in the unit is 32, of snipers is 36, of team commanders 35, and of company commanders 38. More than half of those now in YAMAM have been in the unit for more than eight years. 'YAMAMniks' as they are often called, are required to maintain peak physical condition, professionalism and discipline throughout their service. All YAMAM servicemen have served in combat units in the IDF and have held command positions.
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