QUB, Belfast Jan 2013Prof. Haim Bresheeth

Hashomer

Created in 1909 by Jewish Socialist settlers in Palestine, as a paramilitary organisation to protect the settlements from locals’s attacks and theft. Training was done centrally, and the Shomrim (Guardians in Hebrew) used horses. The outfits came from a variety of sources: Kazakh, Cherkesi and Arabic.

An Attack by hundreds of peasants on Tel Hai, in 1920, leaves 8 Jewish Settlers dead, including Trumpeldor, the commander of the local branch of Hashomer. Trumpeldor becomes a national hero of the Yishuv, and the Haganah is set up by Jabotinsky.

The Haganah as a military as opposed to paramilitary organisation – centralizing its command, equipping, intelligence and training operations.

The Haganah as the army of the Yishuv, and a forerunner of the IDF which replaces it in 1948. An organisation of all the political factions, until its split in 1931, which saw the Etzel (Irgun) being set up by the right-wing of the Zionist movement, with active links to Fascist Italy, especially through maritime training at Italian navy bases.

In 1926, 26 villages in the valley of Jezreel are forcibly removed from their land, and Jewish kibbuzim are built on the evacuated land. The operation is using the Haganah as the enforcing agency. (see Masalha, Pappe, Khalidi)During 1929, a series of Arab “riots” erupted in Palestine, leading to a great strengthening of the Haganah, which reached 10,000 soldiers with additional 40,000 reservists (UK Parallel would be an army of 3.6 Millions!)

Palestinians meeting to protest against British policy in 1929, supporting Zionist expansionism

During the rebellion, the Haganah has supported the British forces in Palestine, and worked together with them to put down the indigenous rebellion against the forced colonisation of the country

This period improves the training, experience and supply of Haganah units, and sees the setting up of Field Battalions, later to be renamed Storm Battalions (Plugot Makhatz) in 1941

In 1940, the British call for Jewish veterans of WWI to volunteer and fight along Britain against the Nazis. The poster message in Hebrew:Soldiers of 1915/18 – to the Flag!This was a successful call to arms, and 30,000 Palestinian Jews have served in the British forces.

This was not mirrored by Palestinian Arabs, who saw Britain as both an invading force, as well as strongly anti-Palestinian and pro-Zionist, as exemplified in the Balfour declaration. As a result, a similar Arab body of trained soldiers did not exist in Palestine.

In 1945, the Haganah, Etzel and Lehi all combine to create a unified force, in preparation for the armed takeover of Palestine. They number more than 60,000 soldiers (Parallel in UK would be over 5 millions!

Prior to May 15th, 1948, when Arab Armies joined the war in Palestine, Israel’s armies have already forcibly evacuated some 400,000 Palestinians, over half of those expelled. Plan Dalet, (Pappe, 2006)

Up to the present, all Jewish men, and most of Jewish women, are expected to serve in the army. This makes the Israeli army the largest in the world per capita.There is no a single aspect of Israeli life not affected by the army, which is largest organisation in Israel. It is were young people meet, get formed, become friends for life, marry, and get employment. It is the most important and formative of all social institutions in Israel.

All Israeli politicians get appointed for their army credentials. Since 1948, more generals served in Israeli governments than in the combined governments of the west!Each Israeli politician has to have at least ONE war to prove himself, and many have had two or three, like Sharon. This is the font of credibility on which political roles are based.

The ‘defence’ industries are Israel largest industrial sector; Israel is the fifth, or fourth (depending on date) world’s largest arms dealer. There hardly is a conflict in which Israel was not involved.

Many of Israel’s external relations are dictated and formed by this imperial industry. Conflict and violence not seen as problematic, but as trading opportunities.

The Army official store network, Shekem, is one of the largest networks in Israel.

The IDF is Israel’s largest employer

The IDF has its own publishing house, as well as the most popular Radio station in Israel Galei Zahal, as well as a popular weekly and many other occasional publications, and ten of theatrical troupes. The army is the unofficial training ground for actors and media personnel.It is an influential part of the cultural scene, and uses Israel’s leading (and other) intellectuals in propaganda workshops at its many bases. Israeli youth are prepared for the army in para-militarist Gadna (Youth Battalions) at 16.

Jewish religious leaders in the army are on the highest echelons of command, and many of the officers come from the settlements and are right-wing, religious fanatics.

The army is thoroughly religionalised through the command structure, and religious services are part of daily and weekly routines.

Rabbis play an active part in justifying army actions against children women and civilians, based on religious and biblical texts.

The IDF supports all sports activities with much time and money, and partakes in all areas of sports though Unit, Force, Region and national levels, throughout the forces. It organises national walking and hiking events on a massive scale

The IDF is a major player in any sports event in Israel, and supports many national teams in all branches of sport.

Bedouin and Druze Bedouin and Druze Palestinians are Palestinians are supposed to serve in the supposed to serve in the IDF, but most of them IDF, but most of them now refuse or find ways now refuse or find ways of avoiding it. The rest of avoiding it. The rest are manning the Border are manning the Border Police, a Police, a carabinieri carabinieri type type units which do the actual units which do the actual submission of submission of Palestinians.Palestinians.Many Jewish men and Many Jewish men and women from women from Mizrachi Mizrachi background also serve in background also serve in the BP, making it a social the BP, making it a social dumping ground.dumping ground.

The IDF and the ‘security industries employ thousands of scientists in all parts of their operations. Many billions of science research are originating in the Ministry of Defence funds.Most scientists in the STEM subjects in Israel are employed by the Ministry in security related projects, crucial for the HEI system. Palestinians are barred from those disciplines.

All academics serve in the reserves, hence they do everything from killing Palestinians in Gaza, to manning the checkpoints

The IDF is running hundreds of its training sessions in Israel’s universities

The IDF is the largest investor in R&D in Israel’s academia, and is crucial for most R&D

Each university is involved with IDF projects All universities are run by high-ranking IDF

retired or reserve officers

TAU – project on ‘sweating during interrogation’. TAU – special courses for schoolchildren about

security and arms development Technion – development of the UAV (drone) Technion – Design of Israeli defence satellites HUJ – Intelligence services training programmes HUJ - Biometric identification for the IDF BIU – Chaotic micro-laser for military

communication BIU – Cipher-systems for military communication BIU – Remote camera technologies for military

uses BGU – Robotics for military applications

American IDF soldiers serve on Campus Served in IDF? US universities want

you! Barak orders IDF general to approve Ariel

academic institute as a university University heads: IDF interfering in

enrollment process University Heads to IDF: Don't Approve

Ariel as University Court challenges IDF criteria letting

Palestinians attend Israeli universities Striking lecturers shut down IDF courses

The IDF has its own settlements: The soldiers of NAHAL (Fighting Pioneer Youth) manning new settlements. Most small settlements have started this way.The settlements are fully militarised, heavily armed, and operate as a part of the army. This is crucial in controlling the OTP (Occupied Territories of Palestine).

Israel is leading the world in Net applications and state hacking activities

Recently, a new IDF unit of more that 800 scientists and experts have been set up, for net warfare. They seem to have destroyed the Iranian control system of the Boucher nuclear pile, making its operation impossible.

Websites and blogs are taken of the net daily, and the latest one was the Israeli War Criminals site

There is no single area of life in Israel that the IDF and its tentacles are not involved in.

All Israeli males, and most Israeli females are serving in the IDF, and get their formative ideological education reinforced there. They learn to see the Palestinian through the gunsight, and that view will remain with them for life.

They learn to see conflict not as a problem, but as an opportunity.

There is no single area of life in Israel that the IDF and its tentacles are not involved in.All Israeli males, and most Israeli females are serving in the IDF, and get their formative ideological education reinforced there. They learn to see the Palestinian through the gun-sight, and that view will remain with them for life.They learn to see conflict not as a problem, but as an opportunity.

The IDF IS Israel