WRECKED BUILDING AND BURNT OUT CAR IN HAIFA: MEN AND WOMEN ENLISTING FOR PATROL: ARAB/JEW PAIR PATROLLING STREETS: TEL AVIV STUDENTS ARRIVING AT SCHOOL AND BEING CHECKED AT GATE: POLICE INSPECTOR GIVING INSTRUCTION IN TERRORIST METHODS AND SHOWING VARIOUS TYPES OF EXPLOSIVE DEVICES.




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Background: FOLLOWING A SERIES OF TERRORIST BOMB EXPLOSIONS THROUGHOUT HAIFA LAST WEEK - KILLING TWO PEOPLE AND INJURING 20 - ISRAELI AUTHORITIES BEGAN SABOTAGE PREVENTION MEASURES BY CALLING FOR VOLUNTEERS TO PATROL THE STREETS. MEANWHILE, IN TEL AVIV, SCHOOLCHILDREN ARE BEING INSTRUCTED IN TERRORIST METHODS BY MEMBERS OF THE POLICE BOMB DEMOLITION SQUAD.

THE HAIFA VIGILANTE TEAMS WERE RECRUITED FROM AMONG BOTH JEWS AND ARABS. THE CITY HAS AN ARAB POPULATION OF 15,000 - OUT OF A TOTAL OF 220,000; AND AFTER THE EXPLOSIONS A HUNDRED LEADING MOSLEMS AND CHRISTIANS JOINED IN SENDING A MESSAGE TO PRIME MINISTER GOLDA MEIR DEPLORING THE BOMBINGS.

AND AS THE ONE-JEW, ONE-ARAB PATROLS ROAMED THE STREETS - POLICE SOURCES SAID THAT THE BOMBS, CONSISTING OF BETWEEN 5 AND 7 KILOS (11 TO 15 POUNDS) OF EXPLOSIVES WITH A TIMING DEVICE, HAD BEEN PLACED BY MEMBERS OF THE POPULAR FRONT FOR THE LIBERATION OF PALESTINE (PFLP).

IN TEL AVIV, AS STUDENTS RETURNED TO CLASSES AFTER THE BOMBINGS, SPECIAL SCHOOL PATROLS AND MEMBERS OF GADNA (THE YOUTH PARA-MILITARY ORGANISATION) CONTROLLED THE GATES OF THE SCHOOLS AND CHECKED IDENTITY CARDS.

IN THE CLASSROOM, SPECIAL COURSES IN BOMB-DETECTION AND DEFUSING WERE HELD AFTER THE REGULAR SCHOOL HOURS. A POLICE INSPECTOR OF THE BOMB DEMOLITION SQUAD DEMONSTRATED THE VARIOUS FORMS OF DETONATORS WHICH MIGHT BE ENCOUNTERED ANYWHERE, ANYTIME - FROM GRENADE BOMBS WHICH WOULD EXPLODE ON THE OPENING OF A BOX; TO THE VERY LETHAL SHOE MINE.

THE RANGE WAS WIDE AND MANY OF THE BOMBS APPEARED HARMLESS ENOUGH OBJECTS OF EVERY-DAY USE - OR DID NOTHING TO HIDE THEIR APPEARANCE, LIKE THE BAZOOKA.

FINALLY, AFTER RECEIVING THEORETICAL INSTRUCTION, THE STUDENTS PATROLLED THE SCHOOL GROUNDS IN SEARCH FOR EXPLOSIVES, PUTTING THEIR LEARNING TO PRACTICE.