MOD: Mass Landmine Clearance to begin in March 2012

(Communicated by Josh Hantman, International Media Advisor,
MOD)

Pursuant to orders from Defense Minister Ehud Barak, the Defense Ministry –
through its Mine Clearance Authority – has signed its first agreement for
substantial landmine clearance. The first round of clearing is scheduled
for March 2012. The Ministry intends to clear thousands of mines during
this calendar year.

The agreement, signed this week, is the first of its type to be signed in
Israel. In the framework of the agreement, the successful candidate in the
government tender will begin to clear the land mines in March.

The Mine Clearance Authority decided that the first region to be cleared
will be the Ne’ot HaKikar area in the Arava Valley, south of the Dead Sea.
240 dunams will be cleared, an area of land which experts consider to be
extremely dangerous to the public; especially agricultural workers, local
residents, and hikers in the region.

Defense Ministry Mine Clearance Authority Director Ervin Lavi noted that,
"From our point of view, we are talking about a very serious and meaningful
accomplishment in the greater campaign for the clearing of mines across
Israel. Less than one year after the 'Mine Clearance Act' was passed in the
Knesset we intend to be on the ground already at the beginning of March,
ready to clear dangerous landmines; some of which have been there for more
than fifty years. We all remember the terrible events of last year – etched
in our memories – when young Daniel Yuval stepped on a mine in the Golan
Heights. This is just one of the many examples in which travelers and
hikers have been injured when wondering into mined areas across Israel. “In
Israel today there are approximately 130,000 dunams of either minefields,
or land in which there is a concern that landmines could have been laid.
These landmines are not essential for the security of the state. They have
been laid over the course of many years, often for specific operational
requirements, and are currently marked for clearance. These particular
areas include foreign minefields and areas of land into which mines have
drifted. In accordance with the assigned budget, the Mine Clearance
Authority is preparing a multi-year plan to clear landmines in the
aforementioned regions, as well as in the north, south and center of the
country."