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''Mista‘arvim'' (; , ), also spelled ''mista‘aravim'', is the name given to certain units in the
Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branches: the Israeli Ground Forces, the Israeli Air Force, and ...
,
Israel Border Police The Israel Border Police () is the gendarmerie and border security branch of the Israel National Police. It is also commonly known by its Hebrew abbreviation Magav (), meaning border guard; its members are colloquially known as ''magavnikim ...
, and
Israel Police The Israel Police (; ) is the civilian police force of Israel. As with most other police forces in the world, its duties include crime fighting, traffic control, maintaining public safety, and counter-terrorism. It is under the jurisdiction o ...
that assimilate into local
Arab Arabs (,  , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...
populations to operate undercover while gathering intelligence or conducting law enforcement, hostage rescue, and counter-terrorism operations.


Name

The Hebrew word ''mista‘arev'' (plural ''mista‘arvim'') is a Hebraization of the Arabic ''musta‘rib'', meaning " he who has become Arab", which refers to both the
Musta'arabi Jews Musta'arabi Jews ( al-Mustaʿribīn " Mozarabs"; ''Mustaʿravim'') were the Arabic-speaking Jews, largely Mizrahi Jews and Maghrebi Jews, who lived in the Middle East and North Africa prior to the arrival and integration of Ladino-speaking Seph ...
, Arabic-speaking Jews who lived in the Middle East from the beginning of Arab rule in the 7th century prior to the arrival of
Ladino Ladino, derived from Latin, may refer to: * Judeo-Spanish language (ISO 639–3 lad), spoken by Sephardic Jews *Ladino people, a socio-ethnic category of Mestizo or Hispanicized people in Central America especially in Guatemala * Black ladinos, a ...
-speaking
Sephardic Jews Sephardic Jews, also known as Sephardi Jews or Sephardim, and rarely as Iberian Peninsular Jews, are a Jewish diaspora population associated with the historic Jewish communities of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) and their descendant ...
following their
expulsion from Spain Expulsion from Spain may refer to: * Expulsion of Jews from Spain (1492 in Aragon and Castile, 1497–98 in Navarre) * Expulsion of the Moriscos (1609–1614) See also * Forced conversions of Muslims in Spain (1500–1502 in Castile, 1515–16 ...
in 1492, and the
Mozarabs The Mozarabs (from ), or more precisely Andalusi Christians, were the Christians of al-Andalus, or the territories of Iberia under Muslim rule from 711 to 1492. Following the Umayyad conquest of the Visigothic Kingdom in Hispania, the Christian ...
of
al-Andalus Al-Andalus () was the Muslim-ruled area of the Iberian Peninsula. The name refers to the different Muslim states that controlled these territories at various times between 711 and 1492. At its greatest geographical extent, it occupied most o ...
.


Description

Members of ''mista‘arvim'' units are specifically trained to assimilate among the Arab population and operate within Arab societies to accomplish their missions. Gary Spedding, a consultant on the Middle East, said that the activity of ''mista‘arvim'' "allows the Israeli military and border police to identify protesters they wish to arrest and detain. Israeli affairs expert Antoine Shalhat claimed that the main missions of the ''mista‘arvim'' "include gathering intelligence and counterterrorist operations." ''Mista‘arvim'' dress as Arabs, know the customs and etiquette of Arab society and speak fluent Arabic, in the appropriate dialect. ''Mista‘arvim'' have participated in public demonstrations and may support the protests as if they were demonstrators.


History

A ''mista‘arvim'' unit, with the code-name ''ha-Shahar'' (The Dawn) was established secretly by the
Palmach The Palmach (Hebrew: , acronym for , ''Plugot Maḥatz'', "Strike Phalanges/Companies") was the elite combined strike forces and sayeret unit of the Haganah, the paramilitary organization of the Yishuv (Jewish community) during the period of th ...
in 1943 and consisted mainly of native Arabic-speaking Sephardic Jews, virtually indistinguishable from Arabs generally. With the outbreak of the 1948 independence War in November 1947, members of ha-Shahar were deployed as intelligence agents capable of penetrating Arab urban neighbourhoods and villages and, at times, in sabotage and assassinations. In 1948, the commander of this Arab platoon Moshe Ben-Zvi expressed interest in assisting Israeli operations of
biological warfare Biological warfare, also known as germ warfare, is the use of biological toxins or Pathogen, infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, insects, and Fungus, fungi with the intent to kill, harm or incapacitate humans, animals or plants as an ...
. It appears that subsequently, on 21 May, two ''mista‘arvim,'' David Mizrahi and Ezra Horin, operating out of Dorot and kibbutz Gevar‘am were captured by Egyptian troops as they attempted to poison with
typhoid Typhoid fever, also known simply as typhoid, is a disease caused by ''Salmonella enterica'' serotype Typhi bacteria, also called ''Salmonella'' Typhi. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often ther ...
and
diphtheria Diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacteria, bacterium ''Corynebacterium diphtheriae''. Most infections are asymptomatic or have a mild Course (medicine), clinical course, but in some outbreaks, the mortality rate approaches 10%. Signs a ...
bacteria the wells from which Egyptian troops in Gaza drew their water supplies, an incident which led Egypt to make a formal protest to the
Secretary General of the United Nations The secretary-general of the United Nations (UNSG or UNSECGEN) is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations and head of the United Nations Secretariat, one of the United Nations System#Six principal organs, six principal organs of ...
later that month. In his book, '' Spies of No Country'', Matti Friedman tells the history of a pre-statehood unit operating in Lebanon and Syria.


Training

Training for these units takes about 15 months: * Four months basic infantry training at the Mitkan Adam army base – the IDF Special Training Center – near
Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut ( ''Mōdīʿīn-Makkabbīm-Rēʿūt'') is a city located in central Israel, about southeast of Tel Aviv and west of Jerusalem, and is connected to those two cities via Highway 443. In the population was . The populati ...
. * Two and a half months of advanced infantry training in the same base. * Two months of the unit's basic training, which focus on advanced urban navigation and the beginning of counter-terrorism training. * Four months ''mista‘arvim'' training, which covers everything from learning Arab traditions, language, and way of thought, to civilian camouflage (hair dyeing, contact lenses, clothing). * One month courses – sniper, driving and different instructor courses.


Known units

The first ''mista‘arvim'' unit, known as the "Arab Department" (''ha-Maḥlaka ha-Aravit''), was established in 1942 as a unit of the
Palmach The Palmach (Hebrew: , acronym for , ''Plugot Maḥatz'', "Strike Phalanges/Companies") was the elite combined strike forces and sayeret unit of the Haganah, the paramilitary organization of the Yishuv (Jewish community) during the period of th ...
. Other ''mista‘arvim'' groups in Israel have included: * Sayeret Shaked, a unit of the IDF, which operated undercover in the Gaza Strip in the 1970s * The Samson Unit, or Unit 367, which operated in the
Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip, also known simply as Gaza, is a small territory located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea; it is the smaller of the two Palestinian territories, the other being the West Bank, that make up the State of Palestine. I ...
until its disbandment in 1994 after the
Oslo Accords The Oslo Accords are a pair of interim agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO): the Oslo I Accord, signed in Washington, D.C., in 1993; and the Oslo II Accord, signed in Taba, Egypt, in 1995. They marked the st ...
* Rimon, operating from 1987 until 2005 in Gaza * Sayeret Duvdevan (Unit 217), established in the
West Bank The West Bank is located on the western bank of the Jordan River and is the larger of the two Palestinian territories (the other being the Gaza Strip) that make up the State of Palestine. A landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...
in the 1980s and still operating *
Yamas The (), and their complement, the niyamas, represent a series of "right living" or ethical rules within Yoga philosophy. The word means "reining in" or "control". They are restraints for proper conduct given in the Vedas and the Yoga Sutras ...
, a unit of the
Israel Border Police The Israel Border Police () is the gendarmerie and border security branch of the Israel National Police. It is also commonly known by its Hebrew abbreviation Magav (), meaning border guard; its members are colloquially known as ''magavnikim ...
* Gideonim (Unit 33), an undercover ''mista‘arvim'' unit of the
Israeli Police The Israel Police (; ) is the civilian police force of Israel. As with most other police forces in the world, its duties include crime fighting, traffic control, maintaining public safety, and counter-terrorism. It is under the jurisdiction o ...
, still operating * Hermesh (Hebrew acronym for "armored motorized infantry"), operating in the
West Bank The West Bank is located on the western bank of the Jordan River and is the larger of the two Palestinian territories (the other being the Gaza Strip) that make up the State of Palestine. A landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...
until 1994, when it was transferred to the
Kfir Brigade The 900th "Kfir" Brigade (, ''lit.'' "Lion Cub Brigade"), is the youngest and largest infantry brigade of the Israel Defense Forces. It is subordinate to the 99th "Flash" Infantry Division (''Reserve'') of Israel's Central Regional Command. T ...


See also

*
Israeli special forces units Special forces units in the Israel Defense Forces encompass a broad definition of specialist units. Such units are usually a regiment or a battalion in strength. Sayeret (, pl.: ''sayarot''), or ''reconnaissance'' units in the Israel Defense F ...
*''
Fauda ''Fauda'' (, from ''fawḍā'', meaning "chaos" or "mess") is an Israeli television series developed by Lior Raz and Avi Issacharoff drawing on their experiences in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). It tells the story of Doron, a commander in ...
'' *
Eli Cohen Eliyahu Ben-Shaul Cohen (‎; ‎; 26 December 1924 – 18 May 1965) was an Egyptian-born Israeli spy. He is best known for his espionage work in Syria between 1961 and 1965, where he developed close relationships with the Syrian poli ...
, Egyptian-born Israeli spy known for his work in Egypt and Syria * Zvi Yehezkeli, Israeli journalist who lived under Arab aliases in Europe and the U.S. in 2016–17 to investigate the
Muslim Brotherhood The Society of the Muslim Brothers ('' ''), better known as the Muslim Brotherhood ( ', is a transnational Sunni Islamist organization founded in Egypt by Islamic scholar, Imam and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna in 1928. Al-Banna's teachings s ...
and its influence; he posed as a
sheikh Sheikh ( , , , , ''shuyūkh'' ) is an honorific title in the Arabic language, literally meaning "elder (administrative title), elder". It commonly designates a tribal chief or a Muslim ulama, scholar. Though this title generally refers to me ...
. In the 1990s he lived in the Palestinian cities of
Hebron Hebron (; , or ; , ) is a Palestinian city in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Hebron is capital of the Hebron Governorate, the largest Governorates of Palestine, governorate in the West Bank. With a population of 201,063 in ...
and
Jenin Jenin ( ; , ) is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, and is the capital of the Jenin Governorate. It is a hub for the surrounding towns. Jenin came under Israeli occupied territories, Israeli occupation in 1967, and was put under the administra ...
with the stated aim of perfecting his knowledge of the Arabic language and culture. *
Oz Brigade The 89th Brigade "Oz" ("Courage" in Hebrew) is a special forces brigade of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). It was established in December 2015. The new brigade, dubbed the Commando Brigade, is composed solely of infantry special-operations units ...


References

{{cite web , author=Mel Frykberg , title=Israeli forces kill Palestinians at Qalandiya camp , url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/11/israeli-forces-kill-palestinians-qalandiya-151116091413833.html , date=2015-11-16 , website=aljazeera , accessdate=2018-06-16


External links

* Deflem, Mathieu. 2012
"Yehida Mishtartit Mistaravim (YAMAS) (Israel)."
pp. 71–72 in Counterterrorism: From the Cold War to the War on Terror, Vol. 2, edited by Frank G. Shanty. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger/ABC-CLIO * Other activity by the ''mista‘arvim:'
"mistaravim , The Electronic Intifada"

Who is Musta'ribeen
Counterterrorism in Israel Special forces of Israel Arab–Israeli conflict