# Mista'arvim

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Israeli undercover counter-terrorism units

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This article is about the Israeli police unit. For Jews who lived in the Middle East and North Africa prior to the arrival of Sephardic Jews, see [Musta'arabi Jews](/source/Musta'arabi_Jews).

***Mista‘arvim*** ([Hebrew](/source/Hebrew_language): מִסְתַּעַרְבִים; [Arabic](/source/Arabic_language): مُسْتَعْرِبِين, [romanized](/source/Romanization_of_Arabic): *musta‘ribīn*, lit. 'Arabized'), also spelled *mista‘aravim*,[1] is the name given to certain units in the [Israel Defense Forces](/source/Israel_Defense_Forces), [Israel Border Police](/source/Israel_Border_Police), and [Israel Police](/source/Israel_Police) that assimilate into local [Arab](/source/Arab) populations to operate undercover while gathering intelligence or conducting law enforcement, hostage rescue, and counter-terrorism operations.[1]

## Name

The Hebrew word *mista‘arev* (plural *mista‘arvim*) is a Hebraization of the Arabic *musta‘rib*, meaning "[he who has become Arab](/source/Arabized)", which refers to both the [Musta'arabi Jews](/source/Musta'arabi_Jews), Arabic-speaking Jews who lived in the Middle East from the beginning of Arab rule in the 7th century[2] prior to the arrival of [Ladino](/source/Judeo-Spanish)-speaking [Sephardic Jews](/source/Sephardic_Jews) following their [expulsion from Spain](/source/Alhambra_Decree) in 1492, and the [Mozarabs](/source/Mozarabs) of [al-Andalus](/source/Al-Andalus).

## Description

Members of *mista‘arvim* units are specifically trained to assimilate among the Arab population and operate within Arab societies to accomplish their missions.[3][4] 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."[3] *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.[3][5]

## History

A *mista‘arvim* unit, with the code-name *ha-Shahar* (The Dawn) was established secretly by the [Palmach](/source/Palmach) 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](/source/Biological_warfare). It appears that subsequently, on 21 May, two *mista‘arvim,* David Mizrahi and Ezra Horin, operating out of [Dorot](/source/Dorot) and kibbutz [Gevar‘am](/source/Gevim) were captured by Egyptian troops as they attempted to poison with [typhoid](/source/Typhoid) and [diphtheria](/source/Diphtheria) bacteria the wells from which Egyptian troops in [Gaza](/source/Gaza_Strip) drew their water supplies, an incident which led Egypt to make a formal protest to the [Secretary General of the United Nations](/source/Secretary_General_of_the_United_Nations) later that month.[6] In his book, *[Spies of No Country](/source/Spies_of_No_Country)*, [Matti Friedman](/source/Matti_Friedman) tells the history of a pre-statehood unit operating in Lebanon and Syria.[7]

## Training

Training for these units takes about 15 months:[1]

- Four months basic infantry training at the Mitkan Adam [army base](/source/List_of_Israel_Defense_Forces_bases) – the IDF Special Training Center – near [Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut](/source/Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut).

- 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[3] as a unit of the [Palmach](/source/Palmach). Other *mista‘arvim* groups in Israel have included:

- Sayeret Shaked, a unit of the [IDF](/source/Israel_Defense_Forces), which operated undercover in the Gaza Strip in the 1970s

- The [Samson Unit](/source/Samson_Unit), or Unit 367, which operated in the [Gaza Strip](/source/Gaza_Strip) until its disbandment in 1994 after the [Oslo Accords](/source/Oslo_Accords)[8]

- Rimon, operating from 1987 until 2005 in Gaza[3]

- [Sayeret Duvdevan](/source/Duvdevan_Unit) (Unit 217), established in the [West Bank](/source/West_Bank) in the 1980s and still operating[3]

- [Yamas](/source/Yamas_(Israel_Border_Police_unit)), a unit of the [Israel Border Police](/source/Israel_Border_Police)[9][4]

- Gideonim (Unit 33), an undercover *mista‘arvim* unit of the [Israeli Police](/source/Israeli_Police), still operating[10][11]

- Hermesh (Hebrew acronym for "armored motorized infantry"), operating in the [West Bank](/source/West_Bank) until 1994, when it was transferred to the [Kfir Brigade](/source/Kfir_Brigade)

## See also

- [Israeli special forces units](/source/Israeli_special_forces_units)

- *[Fauda](/source/Fauda)*, an Israeli television series which tells the story of Doron, a commander in the Mista'arvim unit and his team

- [Eli Cohen](/source/Eli_Cohen), Egyptian-born Israeli spy known for his work in Egypt and Syria

- [Zvi Yehezkeli](/source/Zvi_Yehezkeli), Israeli journalist who lived under Arab aliases in Europe and the U.S. in 2016–17 to investigate the [Muslim Brotherhood](/source/Muslim_Brotherhood) and its influence; he posed as a [sheikh](/source/Sheikh). In the 1990s he lived in the Palestinian cities of [Hebron](/source/Hebron) and [Jenin](/source/Jenin) with the stated aim of perfecting his knowledge of the Arabic language and culture.

- [Oz Brigade](/source/Oz_Brigade)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-SpecialOps2013_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-SpecialOps2013_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-SpecialOps2013_1-2) ["IDF Mista'Aravim"](https://web.archive.org/web/20151011040643/http://www.special-ops.org/5202/idf-mistaaravim.html). *special-ops.org*. 2013-10-23. Archived from [the original](https://www.special-ops.org/5202/idf-mistaaravim.html) on 2015-10-11.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Israeli Infiltration Shocks Hamas in Aftermath of Shootout | SOFREP Israeli Infiltration Shocks Hamas in Aftermath of Shootout"](https://sofrep.com/specialoperations/israeli-infiltration-shocks-hamas-in-aftermath-of-shootout/).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-aljazeera01_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-aljazeera01_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-aljazeera01_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-aljazeera01_3-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-aljazeera01_3-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-aljazeera01_3-5) Linah Alsaafin (2018-04-10). ["Musta'ribeen, Israel's agents who pose as Palestinians"](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/12/musta-israel-agents-pose-palestinians-171218061118857.html). *aljazeera*. Retrieved 2018-06-16.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Zitun2012_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Zitun2012_4-1) Yoav Zitun (2012-02-05). ["Border Guard to join IDF forces on Israel-Egypt border"](http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4223998,00.html). *Ynetnews*. Retrieved 2018-05-31.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-aljazeera02_5-0)** Mel Frykberg (2015-11-16). ["Israeli forces kill Palestinians at Qalandiya camp"](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/11/israeli-forces-kill-palestinians-qalandiya-151116091413833.html). *aljazeera*. Retrieved 2018-06-16.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [Benny Morris](/source/Benny_Morris), [Benjamin Z. Kedar](/source/Benjamin_Z._Kedar), [‘Cast thy bread’: Israeli biological warfare during the 1948 War](https://doi.org/10.1080/00263206.2022.2122448) [Middle Eastern Studies](/source/Middle_Eastern_Studies_(journal)) 19 September 2022, pages =1-25 pp.9-12.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-MeyerComplexity_7-0)** Meyer, Lily (7 March 2019). ["'Spies Of No Country' Offers Nuanced Understanding Of Israel's Complexity"](https://www.npr.org/2019/03/07/700969374/spies-of-no-country-offers-nuanced-understanding-of-israels-complexity?t=1553581693675). National Public Radio. Retrieved 26 March 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["IDF Mistaravim (YAMAS)"](https://special-ops.org/idf-mistaravim-yamas/). 23 October 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Gilad Erdan visits 'Mista'arvim' undercover special forces unit"](http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/238723).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Elite police unit stopped scores of Oct. 7 terrorists from reaching deep into Israel"](https://www.timesofisrael.com/elite-police-unit-stopped-scores-of-oct-7-terrorists-from-reaching-deep-into-israel/). *[The Times of Israel](/source/The_Times_of_Israel)*. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0040-7909](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0040-7909). Retrieved 2025-06-14.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Israeli forces nab Tehran-backed Lions' Den terrorist in Nablus"](https://www.jns.org/israeli-forces-nab-tehran-backed-lions-den-terrorist-in-nablus/). *Jewish News Syndicate*. 2025-05-26.

## External links

- Deflem, Mathieu. 2012. ["Yehida Mishtartit Mistaravim (YAMAS) (Israel)."](http://deflem.blogspot.com/2012/10/yamas2012.html) 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"](https://electronicintifada.net/tags/mistaravim)

- [Who is Musta'ribeen](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vpZYPsfQ9A)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Mista'arvim](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mista'arvim) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mista'arvim?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.