Presentation of the Security Structure for the Protection of the Sacred Sites of Israel in the Context of the Concept of Policing, the Development of Relations between Religious Communities and the Police

Abstract

Within the research period of the Research Group on Religious Extremities, an analysis of the defence and security structure of Christian sacred sites was presented in two studies. One study examined the analysis of the new security challenges facing the European Christian holy sites in order to identify critical infrastructure, yet another study examined the role of the private security sector in order to develop the Christian holy sites security model. In the studies, the hypotheses outlined for the protection of Christian holy sites are examined primarily in the framework of security, defence, private security and law enforcement models. In this paper, we are looking for answers to the question of how Israel (which considers the protection of sacred places as the most important) is to implement these special security standards through the use of policing methods and protection models. As explained in more details below, Israeli law requires people to respect holy places, and the Israeli authorities are aware of the importance of social sensitivity to these important places, especially during periods of increasing tension between groups of religious communities. In a country where the most sacred places of different religious are very close to each other geographically, the challenges faced by Israeli law enforcements agencies can be identified by defending all sacred sites and territories equally and allowing individuals and religious communities to be protected; to have free access without discrimination, the effective maintenance of peace, public order and security, while rapidly and effectively eliminating tensions and violations of law. These law enforcement and military challenges require continuous and professional efforts to achieve the right social balance.