"We will be ready for any altercation [in September]" Commander of the West Bank-stationed Kfir Infantry Brigade, Colonel Ben Mucha told Israel Hayom Tuesday morning. The Kfir Brigade will likely be at the vanguard of the IDF's potential confrontation with rioters in September. "To me, success is getting through the period without casualties on either side," Col. Mucha said in a special interview. The Kfir Brigade welcomed its new recruits Tuesday morning. Israel Hayom,
Israel is anticipating a potentially hot period to follow the expected bid for Palestinian statehood in the U.N. this September.
Mucha, who entered his position only a few weeks ago, said: "We are making the necessary preparations. We are updating protocols, giving our officers and soldiers proper equipment, and holding training and educational exercises for the soldiers and their commanders." The Kfir Brigade performed an exercise for senior IDF officers based on techniques developed for possible confrontations in September. The brigade is considered a pioneer in the usage of such techniques.
Kfir is the IDF's youngest infantry brigade, and has been consistently stationed in the West Bank. The brigade suffered from a poor image in the past due to its use of excessive force when dealing with the Palestinians. Despite its significant improvement, the brigade still seems to be bogged down with problems of conduct. As an example, a video clip posted several days ago on YouTube shows a Kfir officer threatening a Palestinian with a loaded weapon. "The event is being investigated, and while I can't divulge the details, the way I see it, the event highlights the pressures we face during our service in troubled areas, and is not an indication of our general performance," Mucha said.
"We face issues of moral conduct daily, and are doing our best to deal with those issues, by mentally preparing our commanders, running situation simulators, analyzing the events, and drawing important conclusions. One thing is for sure: anything that needs to be dealt with, will be dealt with," Mucha said.
Despite some past misfortunes, it appears that Kfir is experiencing positive developments as well. More than two draftees are competing for each available slot in the brigade, in this month's recruitment, which is a significant increase from past months. Surprisingly, this young brigade has even surpassed the Nahal Infantry Brigade, which is a well-established veteran of many wars, and one that is generally desired by new recruits.
"Positive exposure and awareness has led to good results. Friends bring their friends to the brigade," Mucha said. "Youth want to serve in combat roles, they want to be fighters, and Kfir has certainly become a good choice for them. People who come to our brigade are of good quality; they are dedicated, and have strong values passed on to them from home and school."
For the first time since the brigade's inception, one of Kfir's battalions was active in an operation on the Israel-Lebanon border. Until now the brigade participated in two large scale exercises that simulated combat on the northern front, in preparation for war with both Lebanon and Syria.
"The army views Kfir as an opportunity. I believe we will be called upon in the next war, either in the south or the north. The IDF considers the Kfir Brigade a front-line infantry brigade, like any other brigade," Mucha said, "But we don't compare ourselves to others. We rely on our own experience and try to innovate new methods and techniques," Mucha explained.
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