Shai Unit

This article is about the Israel Police unit. For the Haganah unit, see Shai (Haganah unit).

The Shai Unit is a volunteer unit of the Israel Border Police. The name is an acronym, which, when translated into English, means "Guardians of Jerusalem".

History

In January 2006 the Jerusalem Border Guard (also known as Magav) took existing volunteer Border Guard soldiers from within their ranks and formed them into their own special fighting unit.

While volunteers are nothing new to the Israel Border Guard, what makes the Yechidat Shai Border Guard unit unique is that it is the first ever all volunteer Border Guard unit in Jerusalem.

Structure

The majority of the Shai Unit are new immigrants that have come from all over the world, including places like America, France and Russia. These volunteer soldiers serve alongside the regular full-time Magav Border Guard units assigned to protect Jerusalem.

The volunteer soldiers leave behind jobs and families on a regular basis in order to serve in this special combat unit. Some come from as far away as Shilo, Ofrah, Ashkelon, Ranaana and even Haifa.

The soldiers of Yechidat Shai receive no pay and follow in the tradition of the Prophet Nehemiah:

"Let each man and his servant stay at night in Jerusalem, that they may be our guard by night and a working party by day". Nehemiah 4:22 (16)

Mission

The primary mission of the Yechidat Shai Border Guard unit is terrorist interdiction. Due to the high number of attempted terrorist infiltrations into the city of Jerusalem the "Guardians of Jerusalem" primary objective remains offensive terrorist interception.

Jerusalem alone experienced 82 attempted terrorist infiltrations in only the first four months of 2006 (the highest attempted infiltration rate in the country). Yechidat Shai, along with the other full-time Border Guard units to which they are assigned, literally make up the last layer of defense for the Holy City.

The units of Yechidat Shai are also involved in securing high risk events in Jerusalem such as concerts, weddings, conventions and other public gatherings in the city.

Training and experience

Yechidat Shai Border Guard soldiers receive the same combat training as the regular IDF & Magav units. Many soldiers in the unit also bring with them military experience from their former countries of origin.

Some soldiers from the unit have done obligatory tours in the IDF to the rank of officer and some bring no previous military experience at all before receiving military training in the unit.

Impact and effectiveness

Since its creation the unit has had a noticeable impact on the security of Jerusalem. The unit has almost doubled the number soldiers assigned to the base from which they operate. They forecast a doubling of their current numbers by the end of 2006.

Members of this special Border Guard unit have participated in a number of high priority captures including a suicide bomber on the Hebron Road, a teenage Hamas cell responsible for numerous arsons in the City, an "Entry Permit" counterfeit ring, as well as hundreds of captures of "Shabakhim" (illegal Arab infiltrators from over the green line from places like, Ramallah, Hebron, Jenin, Shekhem, etc.)

The unit has also been responsible for securing high risk events at the Promenade that overlooks the city of Jerusalem.