Mass. State Police get anti-terror training on trip to Israel

BOSTON — Massachusetts State Police Major Richard Prior saw for himself the everyday reality for law enforcement in Israel, where the threat of terror and constant surveillance is a just a fact of life.

“We were briefed by their intelligence community; they took us throughout the country. They brought us to the Golan Heights. They took us down to the Gaza Strip,” Major Prior said. “It was a very, very valuable trip. It was a real eye-opener.

The tour took in the holy sites of Israel, all potential terror targets.

In 2013, Major Prior was a key figure in the Boston Marathon bombing investigation. Now, he has a new perspective in the war on terror.

“They have been attacked by terrorists so often that it has become almost commonplace for that to happen. And that, in turn, means they had to take every day defense measures,” Prior explained.

This week's attack in Germany struck a nerve for Major Prior, his college-aged daughter is living in an apartment just minutes away from the site.

“It really sends a message home. And she was shaken by it as would anybody that people are out celebrating Christmas and somebody would take a simple device like a truck and drive it into a crowd,” he said.

Major Prior said he's most impressed by the people of Israel and how they've adapted to a difficult modern reality.

“They try to defend against terrorist attacks as best they can,” Prior said. “They try not to let the threat of terrorism rule their life.”

Cox Media Group