Israel: A Wide Schism of Mistrust Within

Prof. As’ad Abdul Rahman

Israel’s news media is filled with press reports of a huge gap of mistrust between the ruling far right political leadership and the various security Israeli agencies pertaining to the cause and the means of dealing with the so-called “Palestinian Flare-up” that is terrifying the hearts and minds of Israeli Jews. This schism of acute mistrust stems from the intelligence assessments of Israel’s security apparatus which, in several cases, contradict with the official views of the government of Israel. All the Israeli security agencies, one time or another, have issued serious warnings to the political leadership “to change the current contentious policies of using excessive force to a policy of political resolution with the Palestinian population; otherwise the violence would not only increase, but it would eventually threaten the very existence of the Jewish state.”

Shaback (Israel’s Internal Security Agency) released recently its report revealing “the driving cause behind the Palestinian Flare-up” which stated: “The Palestinians no longer can bear or tolerate the tremendous pressure exerted upon them nationally, politically, economically and personally. And even if the Flare-up is stopped or greatly reduced, it will be a matter of time in which it will ignite again and again. The Palestinians have lost trust and hope in the Palestinian Authority to give them a better life with dignity and are now left with no choice, but to confront Israel by themselves.” All Israeli security agencies predict the eventual demise of all security agreements signed with the Palestinians while the Israeli occupation lingers with no end and when Palestinian national and individual securities are being brutally violated on daily basis.

The Israeli “Al Monitor” recently reported the clash that took place during the briefing to the Israeli Cabinet by the Chief of Military Intelligence Major- General Herzi Halevy who revealed “The three compounded reasons as to why the riots erupted” by stating the following: “Tensions on the Temple Mount” (Al Haram Al Sharif Mosque), the fire bomb attack in Douma, in which the (Palestinian) Dawabsheh family was murdered on July 31; and the overall sense of hopelessness and frustration among the younger generation of Palestinians.” He was rudely interrupted by the Minister of Immigration and Absorption, Zeev Elkin, one of the extremist leaders of the colonial Zionist settlers in the West Bank who accused General Herzi of being “a spokesman for the Palestinian Authority presenting only the Palestinian narrative to the cause of the violent Flare-up.” Amos Heriel wrote in support of General Herzi in Haaretz stating: “Just take a look at the majority of terrorists, you will find them as individuals with no criminal records and with no affiliations to any Palestinian terrorist organization who decided to act on their own out of utter hopelessness which renders all measures to stop them by the security apparatus null and void.” The Jewish Press.com recently reported a statement by the new Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army who was introduced by the site as “A man who is not afraid to speak his mind even if his thoughts are not politically correct”. General Eizenkot said: “Punishing Palestinian workers by denying them work in Israel to support their families is a big mistake. Palestinians working in Israel provides Israel with a preventative factor against violent actions of unemployed Palestinians.” The military leadership requested from the political ruling leadership ” to greatly increase the work permits and to ease restrictions and pressure on Palestinian movement and to release more prisoners, especially from Fateh whose members dominate the Palestinian Security Apparatus; all these recommendations were rejected”, according to The Jewish Press . Even General Moshe Yaalon, the Israeli Minister of “Defense” expressed “the opposition to the government’s policy that refuses the release of the corps of Palestinians to be buried by their families. He later released a shocking tape that shows the religious colonial settlers dancing and singing in a frenzy celebrating the burning alive of the Dawabsheh family and some stabbing with their knives the picture of the Palestinian toddler who was burned alive in his crib. This video made some Israelis of conscience to shout loudly:” We, also, have our Jewish ISIS.”

Yossi Milman of Haaretz wrote: “There is increasing talk among the Israeli Military about the mine field created by the political leadership which the Israeli Army refuses to enter. The Military in a democratic state must obey the elected ruling political leadership without a reservation. But the professionalism of Israeli security leadership knows very well that the Military would be instantly sacrificed by the political leadership as it happened after the war in Gaza.” Milman reported the statement of unnamed high ranking military commander who said:” If the policy of the excessive use of force continues, the Palestinian Authority would soon fall down after failing to stop settlements bringing the end of occupation which made the Palestinians lose their trust in their National Authority. We have left the Palestinians with no choice, but to support ISIS/ Daesh, as a last resort.” The former Chief of Military Intelligence Aviv Kohavi confirmed the same.

Finally, we are not here to sing the praises to Israel’s Security Agencies, but only to point out the self destructive policies of the ruling ultra religious and ultra nationalist right that has turned Israel into a colonial/ apartheid state and all the thanks to “The Third Palestinian Intifada” that showed the world the truth. What we really hope is for the whole world (especially the Western World) to listen to Israel’s Security Apparatus accusations to their government and to draw the obvious conclusions.