Menashe Territorial Brigade

Menashe Territorial Brigade
חטיבת מנשה
Active1987-present
CountryIsrael Israel
Allegiance Israel Defense Forces
RoleTerritorial Brigade
Part of Judea and Samaria Division
Garrison/HQJenin Area
Engagements
Commanders
Current
commander
  • Ayub Kayuf
Notable
commanders

The Menasha Territorial Brigade (also known as the Jenin Brigade) is a Territorial Brigade in the Israel Defense Forces whose role is to control law and order in the Jenin and Tulkarm sectors and to prevent terrorist attacks. The brigade is under the command of the Judea and Samaria Division.[1]

The name and emblem

The brigade is named after the tribe of Menashe which according to the bible was settled in the same area as the brigade.[2]

The Brigade's emblem is built out of 4 pieces: Blue and white lines, symbolizing the flag of Israel, the Gilboa mountain, A wall that symbolizes the West Bank separation barrier and the lion that represents the Central Command.[1]

Headquarters

The Headquarters of the unit is located in a military camp near Ein Shemer.[3] Previously it was placed in the Northern West Bank area but was moved because of the Israeli disengagement from Gaza as well as the death of a soldier due to an attack by armed Palestinians in 2004.

Organization and purpose

Unlike the other territorial divisions in the West Bank, the Menasha Division is not responsible for just one central Palestinian district, but for two: Jenin and Tulkarm.[1]

The sector of the division extends over a large area and is surrounded on its northern and western sides by the separation fence, which separates the areas of the West Bank and Israel. To the south, the sector borders on the Samaria and Ephraim Territorial Brigades, and on the east by the Valley Territorial Brigade.

In addition to the cities, in the sector of the brigade there are hundreds of Palestinian villages, for example Ya'bad and Barta'a. The villages are divided between Tulkarm and Jenin, and many of them are in area A. There are about three refugee camps in the sector (Fahma, Nur Shams and the Jenin refugee camp), and the town of Qabatiya.

There are also a number of settlements in the sector, including Mevo Dotan, Avnei Hefetz, and the group of settlements that includes Shaked, Rihan, Hinanit and Tel Menashe. As a result of the 2005 disengagement, about three settlements in the sector of the brigade were evacuated - Ganim, Kadim and Sa-Nur.

Notable commanders

Name Period of service Notes
Yoav Gallant[4] 1993–1994 Later served as commander of Southern Command and Minister of Defense
Herzi Halevi 2005–2007 Later served as Chief of the General Staff
Ghassan Alian 2011–2013 Later served as commander of COGAT
Hezi Nehama[5] 2015–2017 Later served as commander of Alexandroni Brigade
Yair Pali[3][better source needed] 2019–2021
Arik Moyal[3][better source needed] 2021–2023
Ayub Kayuf[6] August 2023 - The current commander of the brigade

References

  1. ^ a b c קלו, ניסים. "חטיבה מרחבית מנשה - מערך הטנ"א ביחידה". www.himush.co.il. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  2. ^ "The Twelve Tribes of Israel". www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  3. ^ a b c "אל"ם אריק מויאל נכנס לתפקיד מח"ט מנשה". www.idf.il. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  4. ^ Ahronoth, Yedioth (2010-08-24). "Yoav Galant's race to the top". Ynetnews. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  5. ^ ברוך, עוזי (2015-08-17). ""המציאות המבצעית לא עושה לנו הנחות"". ערוץ 7 (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  6. ^ Finkler, Kobi (2022-11-28). "סבב מינויים בצה"ל: מפקדים חדשים לחטיבות ביהודה ושומרון". ערוץ 7 (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2023-08-18.