Shadows in Disguise: The Evolution of Mista’arvim Units in Israel’s Strategic Culture

Year 2025, Volume: 9 Issue: 1, 110 - 122, 31.05.2025

Nazife Selcen Pınar Akgül

Abstract

This article explores how the creation and normalization of Mista’arvim units reflect Israel’s strategic culture and constructed perceptions of threat. Rooted in the belief that Israel exists in a permanently hostile regional environment, its strategic culture emphasizes preemptive and covert security practices. The study focuses on three interrelated dimensions of threat construction: the social production of threat, the normalization of clandestine operations, and the reproduction of threat narratives in popular culture. Employing interpretive analysis of official and media narratives as its primary methodology, the article investigates how Mista’arvim units—Israeli undercover forces operating by impersonating Palestinians—both embody and reinforce state narratives. The article assumes threat perception is not an objective reality but is shaped by political discourse and institutional practices. The findings suggest that these units do not merely respond to security concerns but actively participate in constructing the very threats they aim to eliminate. This analysis contributes to a deeper understanding of the interplay between strategic culture and threat perception in Israel.

Keywords

Israel , Strategic Culture , Threat Perception , Mista'arvim

Kılık Değiştirmiş Gölgeler: İsrail'in Stratejik Kültüründe Mista’arvim Birimlerinin Dönüşümü

Abstract

Bu makale, Mista’arvim birimlerinin kurulması ve normalleşmesinin, İsrail’in stratejik kültürünü ve inşa edilmiş tehdit algılarını nasıl yansıttığını incelemektedir. İsrail’in kalıcı olarak düşmanca bir bölgesel ortamda var olduğu inancına dayanan stratejik kültürü, önleyici ve örtük güvenlik uygulamalarını vurgulamaktadır. Çalışma, tehdit inşasının üç birbiriyle ilişkili boyutuna odaklanmaktadır: tehdidin toplumsal üretimi, gizli operasyonların normalleşmesi ve tehdit anlatılarının popüler kültürde yeniden üretilmesi. Resmî ve medya anlatılarının yorumlayıcı analizini birincil yöntemi olarak kullanan bu makale, Mista’arvim birimlerinin — Filistinli kılığına girerek operasyon yürüten İsrail gizli kuvvetlerinin — nasıl hem devlet anlatılarını somutlaştırdığını hem de pekiştirdiğini incelemektedir. Makale, tehdit algısının nesnel bir gerçeklik değil; siyasal söylem ve kurumsal pratikler tarafından şekillendirildiği varsayımına dayanmaktadır. Bulgular, bu birimlerin yalnızca güvenlik endişelerine yanıt vermediğini, aynı zamanda ortadan kaldırmayı hedefledikleri tehditleri aktif biçimde inşa ettiklerini ortaya koymaktadır. Bu analiz, İsrail’de stratejik kültür ile tehdit algısı arasındaki etkileşime dair daha derin bir anlayışa katkıda bulunmaktadır.

Keywords

Israel , Stratejik Kültür , Tehtit Algısı , Mista'arvim

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