PM Netanyahu addressed today the wave of arson besieging the country during a tour of the Hatzor Airbase near Ashdod.
“We are calling the shots in the battle and deriving lessons concerning how to proceed. When the Supertanker arrives, we will discuss preventative measures with the American pilots,” Netanyahu said.
“Police are working overtime and are instructed to bring to justice anyone who sets out to commit arson, ‘so that [others] will see and be afraid.’
“Anyone who tries to burn the State of Israel will be severely punished.”
It will be remembered that the PM has requested the assistance of a US Supertanker plane to help fight the arson.
The Boeing 747-400 Supertanker is considered the most advanced firefighting aircraft in the world. It became operational last spring, replacing the 747-100 Supertanker which the US sent to help Israel fight the 2010 Carmel wildfires.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu explained why Israel asked for the Supertanker. “It needs to be understood that the firefighting planes currently being used are not able to operate overnight. There is only one plane that has this ability, and that is the Supertanker. I instructed that it be brought here. It will take 24 hours to come from the US. We only use it in extreme situations. We don’t use it for everything but I prefer that we have too much rather than too little.”