JERUSALEM—A reporter who volunteered to test the effectiveness of a stab-proof vest being distributed to Israeli security forces was hospitalized yesterday when the vest apparently failed the test.
Eitam Lachover, a reporter for Israel’s Channel One, received stitches in his upper back and was reported to be in good condition after release from the hospital. He was preparing a report on the vest for his channel.
Faring less well was the manufacturer of the vest, FMS Enterprises, which had issued a statement that the vest had been tested in countries around the world and was found to meet the "most stringent standards—far beyond the stabbing ability of a human being". Embarrassed company spokesmen said after the incident that Lachover had moved during the demonstration and that the company official wielding the knife had missed the target, hitting Lachover "slightly above the vest". Yaniv Montakyo, vice president of FMS’ Research and Development, said that all earlier tests were successful.
However, a spokesperson for Channel One said that the knife had penetrated the vest.
Dozens of Israelis soldiers and civilians have been stabbed by Palestinians on the West Bank and East Jerusalem in "lone-wolf" attacks during the past three months, forcing Israel’s hi-tech army to seek solutions for this low-tech form of warfare. Particularly vulnerable are soldiers manning checkpoints where there is close contact with Palestinians. The experience of the past three months has shown that attackers can range from 12-year-old boys to grandmothers, who may suddenly whip out a knife at close range and attempt to stab.
Soldiers in dangerous locales are provided with bullet-proof ceramic vests, common in most armies. But these vests do not provide protection to the throat.
The neck guard, as it is called, was developed by a subunit of the army’s Technology Directorate headed by Lt. Col. Liron Segal. He said that the protective device, made in large part of hard plastic, "strikes a balance between the amount of area protected and the comfort of the soldier." Speaking before the demonstration, he said "I’ve given (the army) a solution to the threat of stabbing attacks." He cautioned that "there’s no such thing as 100 percent protection."
The neck guard is slipped on beneath the soldier’s regular protective vest and incorporates "special materials" which Segal would not divulge. "We have managed to make a product that is flexible and thin," he said. "Even its weight on the neck is not comparatively that heavy." Manufacturers of the neck guard had been contracted out to the civilian firm.
Media reports said that Lachover would appear on his channel’s evening news magazine but he did not. He did tweet that he had been discharged from the hospital.