Border Guard

BORDER GUARD
OFFICIAL MEDAL 2006/5766
Third in the "Fighting Units of the Israel Defense Forces" Series

In April 1953, in the wake of dangerous infiltrations from Arab countries that resulted in murder and robbery, the then Prime Minister and Minister of the Defense, David Ben Gurion, decided upon the establishment of the Border Guard as an army that would operate as an arm of the Israel Police, being especially responsible for internal security.

The Six Day War in 1967 was a turning point for the Border Guard, when it became a professional arm of the police, operating in Judea and Samaria, enforcing law and order and combating terrorism.

During the War of Attrition, the Border Guard was particularly active in the Beth Shean Valley and along the Northern Border.

In 1974, when the Government decided to transfer responsibility of the internal security to the Police, the Border Guard underwent a reorganization and its scope of activity was expanded. New units were established to take care of the following:
· fighting against terror, a unit which over the years has become an elite unit of the police and one of the best in the world.
· looking after the rural communities.
· fighting on a high level against terrorists, established after the intifada broke out a high level of detection against crime.

The suicide attacks and terror of recent years have forced the soldiers of the Border Guard to be on constant alert and, in many cases, the soldiers themselves have protected citizens with their own bodies.

Courage, daring and determination are the attributes of the Border Guard Soldiers. Soldiers of different ethnic communities and religions, young soldiers doing their army service together with permanent veteran soldiers, all serve within the Border Guard, side by side. In more recent years, women too have become part of the operational units. This social melting pot is unique to the Border Guard.

Obverse: Border Guard Soldier with colored beret on the silver and bronze medals

Reverse: Israel Border Police emblem and Israeli Police emblem

Edge: smooth

Design: Meir Eshel

Engraving: Tidhar Dagan
Minting: Gold and Silver-Government Mint, Bronze - Hecht Products, Tel Aviv