Discussion Committee:
Prof. Abdul Sattar Qasem /suprvisor
Dr. Adel Samarah/external examienr
Dr.Ebrahem Abu Jaber/internal examiner
Supervisors:
Prof. Abdul Sattar Qasem /suprvisor
Abstract:
All nations experienced local collaborators spying for the sake of an invader, Palestinians were never an exception. Due to long, accumulated experience during occupation era, the Israelis succeeded in recruiting dozens of informants and collaborators, driven by poverty, exploiting their weaknesses, making use of the daily inevitable communication with Palestinians. In contrast, Palestinians looked so confused and unable to resist this phenomenon which led it to be exacerbated despite of some occasional reactions lacking any integrated plan or defined vision. A set of negative consequences emerged due to the wrong methods of confronting spying.
This study aims to highlight the spying phenomenon with its impacts on all sectors of the Palestinian political fabric. The descriptive analytical method was used side by side the interview tool to show the dangers of collaboration and its role in tearing apart the Palestinian political fabric on one side and create a state of awareness to eliminate it on the other. It’s worth to mention that the importance of this study lies in the lack of resources handling the Palestinian spying issue in depth.
The study consists of six chapters: an historical overview of spying , the definition of a spy and a collaborator, some Israeli spies in the Arab countries & the United States, spies during the British Mandate, the direct & indirect gears of spying e.g ;poverty , unemployment , the fragile national & religious immunity, the absence of security culture , the Israeli methods in recruiting Palestinian spies and the role of Oslo accords in protecting spies.
The study mentions the missions of a spy , the impacts on the Palestinian political fabric and spies ranks , categories & numbers in addition to how Palestinians & Israelis treated spies.
The study concluded that:spies & collaborators who have been working for the Israelis played a vital role in tearing apart the Palestinian political fabric using a diversity of methods, tools & role plays. They also hampered Palestinians restoring their historical rights. Meanwhile, Oslo accords are considered vital in protecting spies & collaborators from being detained or arrested.Furthermore, the PNA- Israeli security coordination promoted a public gearing environment to justify collaboration and coordination with the Israelis breaking a set of taboos while Palestinians never had a fixed clear strategy to encounter the incident of spying.
Recommendations
* security solutions are never enough to resist spying , a great focus should be imposed on awareness & education.
* consensus should be made pertaining the definition of collaboration and spying
* all types of collaboration and spying should be criminalized despite any backgrounds or titles.
* the majority of spies & collaborators should be viewed as betrayed victims rather than criminals.
* a special Palestinian foundation should be launched to take care of spies' families ,mitigate the negative image they may be portrayed, rehabilitate spies' relatives and provide psychological & physical care in a way to integrate them into the Palestinian social network.