Bibas: Israel is a villa in a jungle, its citizens must be prepared
Israel is a villa in the jungle, and as such, its citizens are poised on the frontlines, Haim Bibas, chairman of the Federation of Local Authorities in Israel and mayor of Modi’in-Maccabim-Re’ut, said at the Jerusalem Post Annual Conference on Sunday.
“In many ways, the State of Israel is a villa in [the] jungle – a small and isolated democracy surrounded by countries that have fallen victim to terrorist organizations, like Hezbollah in Lebanon, ISIS, Al-Qaida and others,” he said. “The local authorities are now perceived as part of the fighting front. The State of Israel always strives for peace with our neighbors, but at the same time, we must always be ready to repel our enemies.
“We understand, in the complex realities surrounding us, that the next military conflict is already around the corner, and we must be alert and ready to defend our nation,” Bibas said. “In times of war, the citizens of Israel become soldiers without a uniform; the mayors must take control in the midst of an emergency.”
As mayor of a major urban area in Israel and the head of local authorities, Bibas praised local officials and their constituents for being resilient and thinking outside of the box when it comes to protecting its citizens.
“The local authorities require routine readiness, resilience and the ability to deal with the complex security reality,” he said. “I can tell you that mayors of Israel have acquired rich and varied experience in dealing with emergency situations and security crises in times of disaster, in a war or terror attack.”
As such, Bibas lauded the “revolution” taking place in education when it comes to security preparedness.
“A revolution is taking place in the field of education, [both] formal and informal – [particularly] emergency education that begins in school,” he said.
“I believe global challenges need to be solved with global solutions – with technology and knowledge and experience,” Bibas said. “We stand ready to apply everything we acquired to any country or city that decides to face these challenges at home. This is the primary obligation of central government.”