Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon has decided to cancel plans to fire numerous “ravashatzim” – the plural form of the Hebrew acronym “ravshatz” that stands for “military security coordinator” – who serve the Gaza Belt communities as security officers.

The Defense Ministry had planned to fired numerous ravshatzim and reduce others to part-time employment. Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Benny Gantz then decided to freeze the decision, in response to an outcry from the heads of the communities.

After promising a quick decision on the matter yesterday, Yaalon announced Wednesday that he has decided to leave the ravshatzim’s positions intact and even to improve their employment conditions.

Yaalon decided that all ravshatzim within seven kilometers of the Gaza border will be employed full time. The salaries of the ravshatzim in the 7 km range will be increased, and on the northern border of Gaza, communities within nine kilometers will also be included in this measure.

“In the course of Operation Protective Edge,” said Yaalon, “we understood that beside the assistance that the ravshatzim offered the security forces in their activity, they were also a focus of support for the residents for any need that arose.”

The Head of the Sdot Negev council, Tamir Idan, said in response: “I praise the Defense Minister for taking resolute action to take care of the security of the residents of the councils in the south.”

“Cancelling the cut in the ravshatzim’s pay is an important step that will bring back the feeeling of security to our residents – the feeling they long for so much.”

After a recent terror infiltration, Idan credited the local ravshatz for catching the suspect.

“Today, too, the ravshatzim proved their neccessity and their great contribution to the security array in the southern communities,” Idan said. “I am certain that following the lessons learned in Operation Protective Edge, and the latest event, the minister of defense and the prime minister will reconsider the decision to cancel ravshatz positions and cut them.”

He turned out to be right.