Infiltrating Shadows: The Mista’arvim – Israel’s Covert Agents Among Palestinians

Watan-A report from the “Al Jazeera Documentary” website sheds light on a group of Jews who dress in Arab attire, speak the language, and perform their prayers, but are seen as a bombshell among Palestinians. They are referred to as “Mista’arvim.”

The term “Mista’arvim” was coined by the Israeli security during the first Palestinian uprising in 1987. These are groups of police officers disguised in civilian clothing similar to what Palestinians wear, concealing small firearms underneath.

Over the years, Mista’arvim have been assigned tasks such as assassinations and arrests in densely populated Palestinian areas, known as “areas of conflict between stones and machine guns.”

The Infamous Sparrow

The report by Bilal Al-Mazini traces the origin of Mista’arvim back to the term “Asfur,” which became a common term among Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

Asfur refers to an informant who infiltrates the prisoners’ cells to influence or extract information. In local Arab cultures, the term “Asfur” carries a negative connotation, associated with spreading news through fake friendliness. In Syrian popular culture, it is equivalent to “Fasfoos” or the informant appointed by the prisoners themselves to convey their news to the prison administration or intelligence.

Choosing Mista’arvim with Eastern Features

The report highlights that Israel has recruited individuals with Middle Eastern features who are fluent in Arabic and local dialects for its Mista’arvim units. These individuals, armed with deadly weapons, have been strategically placed within Palestinian communities to gather information or carry out assassination operations.

According to the report, Israel has relied on Mista’arvim within its police, army, and intelligence units, recruiting individuals who are proficient in the Arabic language, familiar with local dialects, and have Eastern features. Israel has emphasized the expansion of this unit by promoting the teaching of Arabic language in schools since its establishment on Palestinian territories.

The report quotes the writer Yonatan Mendel, who stated in his book “Israeli Arabic Composition… Political and Security Data in the Formation of Arabic Studies in Israel,” that Israel aimed to defend the importance of studying the Arabic language in the Jewish educational system. This was meant to enable students to read materials related to contemporary Arab life in Israel and neighboring countries, allowing them to use their spoken Arabic knowledge for practical purposes upon graduation.

Mista’arvim in the program ‘The Story Continues

Former Mista’arvim member Elon Perry, in an interview on Al Jazeera’s program “The Story Continues,” mentioned that Mista’arvim must master the Arabic language, dialects, and the Quran. There is a special unit called the Head of Mista’arvim, where recruits take on different personas and roles.

Perry admitted that the situation became extremely difficult for him, almost leading him to suicide. Another Mista’arvim member was hospitalized after experiencing mental health issues.

The term “Mista’arvim” is colloquially used in Israel to refer to its undercover recruits operating within the units of the army, police, or intelligence. These units function secretly within the Israeli occupation police and are notorious for their violence and arrests against Palestinian protesters.

The Palmach Organization

The report also delves into the history of the Mista’arvim unit within the military organization called “Palmach,” established in May 1943 by Isaac Sadeh, a Polish Jew who served in the Red Army. The goal of “Palmach” was to recruit Jewish agents capable of assimilating into Arab communities and working there for extended periods, carrying out intelligence and military tasks.

The Mista’arvim unit, referred to as “Shai’er,” operated until the late 1950s and was the last bastion of the Palmach organization before being dismantled by the Israeli intelligence.

Ghassan Douar, in his book “The Mista’arvim or Israeli Death Squads,” states that the literal meaning of the term Mista’arvim refers to a Jew living among Arabs in disguise by adopting their customs, traditions, and culture. This was achieved through members of the “Hashomer” gang, the first Zionist association founded in Arab Palestine in 1909, whose members imitated the Bedouins in the regions where they spread.

The Israeli newspaper “Maariv” revealed that Mista’arvim often assume roles such as journalists carrying cameras, paramedics, or doctors to arrest individuals wanted by the Israeli authorities, making it easier for them to infiltrate demonstrations and protests and carry out their security missions, even if it requires them to wear women’s clothing. The Mista’arvim unit is also present in Israeli prisons, known as “Metsada,” overseen by the Prison Service. Its task is to control hostages held in prisons where Palestinian prisoners are located and suppress their protests.