Mista'arvim

{{pp|small=yes}} {{Short description|Israeli undercover counter-terrorism units}} {{Israelis}}{{About|the Israeli police unit|Jews who lived in the Middle East and North Africa prior to the arrival of Sephardic Jews|Musta'arabi Jews}} '''''Mista‘arvim''''' ({{langx|he|מִסְתַּעַרְבִים}}; {{langx|ar|مُسْتَعْرِبِين|translit=musta‘ribīn}}, {{lit|Arabized}}), also spelled ''mista‘aravim'',<ref name="SpecialOps2013"/> is the name given to certain units in the Israel Defense Forces, Israel Border Police, and Israel Police that assimilate into local Arab populations to operate undercover while gathering intelligence or conducting law enforcement, hostage rescue, and counter-terrorism operations.<ref name="SpecialOps2013"/>

==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, Arabic-speaking Jews who lived in the Middle East from the beginning of Arab rule in the 7th century<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sofrep.com/specialoperations/israeli-infiltration-shocks-hamas-in-aftermath-of-shootout/|title=Israeli Infiltration Shocks Hamas in Aftermath of Shootout | SOFREP Israeli Infiltration Shocks Hamas in Aftermath of Shootout}}</ref> prior to the arrival of Ladino-speaking Sephardic Jews following their expulsion from Spain in 1492, and the Mozarabs of 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.<ref name="aljazeera01"/><ref name="Zitun2012"/> 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."<ref name="aljazeera01"/> ''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.<ref name="aljazeera01"/><ref name="aljazeera02"/>

==History== A ''mista‘arvim'' unit, with the code-name ''ha-Shahar'' (The Dawn) was established secretly by the 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. 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 and diphtheria 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 later that month.<ref>Benny Morris, Benjamin Z. Kedar, [https://doi.org/10.1080/00263206.2022.2122448 ‘Cast thy bread’: Israeli biological warfare during the 1948 War] Middle Eastern Studies 19 September 2022, pages =1-25 pp.9-12.</ref> In his book, ''Spies of No Country'', Matti Friedman tells the history of a pre-statehood unit operating in Lebanon and Syria.<ref name="MeyerComplexity">{{cite news |last1=Meyer |first1=Lily |title='Spies Of No Country' Offers Nuanced Understanding Of Israel's Complexity |url=https://www.npr.org/2019/03/07/700969374/spies-of-no-country-offers-nuanced-understanding-of-israels-complexity?t=1553581693675 |accessdate=26 March 2019 |publisher=National Public Radio |date=7 March 2019}}</ref>

==Training== Training for these units takes about 15 months:<ref name="SpecialOps2013"/> * Four months basic infantry training at the Mitkan Adam army base – the IDF Special Training Center – near 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<ref name="aljazeera01"/> as a unit of the Palmach. 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 until its disbandment in 1994 after the Oslo Accords<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://special-ops.org/idf-mistaravim-yamas/|title=IDF Mistaravim (YAMAS)|date=23 October 2013}}</ref> * Rimon, operating from 1987 until 2005 in Gaza<ref name="aljazeera01"/> * Sayeret Duvdevan (Unit 217), established in the West Bank in the 1980s and still operating<ref name="aljazeera01"/> * Yamas, a unit of the Israel Border Police<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/238723|title = Gilad Erdan visits 'Mista'arvim' undercover special forces unit}}</ref><ref name="Zitun2012"/> * Gideonim (Unit 33), an undercover ''mista‘arvim'' unit of the Israeli Police, still operating<ref>{{cite news |last= |first= |title=Elite police unit stopped scores of Oct. 7 terrorists from reaching deep into Israel |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/elite-police-unit-stopped-scores-of-oct-7-terrorists-from-reaching-deep-into-israel/ |access-date=2025-06-14 |website=The Times of Israel |language=en-US |issn=0040-7909}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-05-26 |title=Israeli forces nab Tehran-backed Lions’ Den terrorist in Nablus |url=https://www.jns.org/israeli-forces-nab-tehran-backed-lions-den-terrorist-in-nablus/ |work=Jewish News Syndicate}}</ref> * Hermesh (Hebrew acronym for "armored motorized infantry"), operating in the West Bank until 1994, when it was transferred to the Kfir Brigade

==See also== *Israeli special forces units *''Fauda'', an Israeli television series which tells the story of Doron, a commander in the Mista'arvim unit and his team *Eli Cohen, 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 and its influence; he posed as a sheikh. In the 1990s he lived in the Palestinian cities of Hebron and Jenin with the stated aim of perfecting his knowledge of the Arabic language and culture. * Oz Brigade

==References== <references> <ref name="Zitun2012">{{cite news |url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4223998,00.html |author=Yoav Zitun |title=Border Guard to join IDF forces on Israel-Egypt border |date=2012-02-05 |work=Ynetnews |access-date=2018-05-31}}</ref>

<ref name="SpecialOps2013">{{cite web |url=http://www.special-ops.org/5202/idf-mistaaravim.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151011040643/http://www.special-ops.org/5202/idf-mistaaravim.html |archivedate=2015-10-11 |date=2013-10-23 |title=IDF Mista'Aravim |website=special-ops.org}}</ref>

<ref name="aljazeera01">{{cite web |author=Linah Alsaafin |title=Musta'ribeen, Israel's agents who pose as Palestinians |url= https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/12/musta-israel-agents-pose-palestinians-171218061118857.html |website=aljazeera |date=2018-04-10 |accessdate=2018-06-16}}</ref>

<ref name="aljazeera02">{{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}}</ref> </references>

== External links == * Deflem, Mathieu. 2012. [http://deflem.blogspot.com/2012/10/yamas2012.html "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:'' [https://electronicintifada.net/tags/mistaravim "mistaravim | The Electronic Intifada"] * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vpZYPsfQ9A Who is Musta'ribeen]

Category:Counterterrorism in Israel Category:Special forces of Israel Category:Arab–Israeli conflict