Social Media Identifies Undercover Agents at Palestinian Protests
Palestinian activists have begun using social media platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram to raise awareness about the presence of Israeli undercover agents, known as Mista’arvim, who pose as Arab citizens to carry out intelligence gathering.
Landwebs
Palestinian activists have begun using social media platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram to raise awareness about the presence of Israeli undercover agents during protests, reports The Guardian. Apparently borrowing a leaf from tactics used by U.S. law enforcement during the George Floyd protests , Israeli undercover agents, known as Mista’arvim, pose as Arab citizens to infiltrate crowds AND carry out intelligence gathering. The social media groups offer instructions on how to avoid being arrested. Messages have spread in WhatsApp groups advising young protesters to cover their faces at all times to avoid being filmed by Mista’arvim; to wear clothes that fully cover their skin so they won’t be easily injured by stun grenades or teargas; to write down a lawyer’s number on their arms in case they get arrested and their phones are taken away; and to make their waists visible and look out for those whose shirts are not tucked into their trousers, hiding guns in their belts, as they might be Mista’arvim.
