Secret police unit monitoring Israeli citizens

Fo Realz, of all the Arab east jerusalem residents I have met, only ONE was not an Israeli citizen.

they are all probably thankful that the cops are there to stop suicide bombings,terror attacks,shootings. Israel is a special country and the world is safer because it exists. The Israeli citizens both jewish and arabs are safer because of the presence of these special cops. Israel is unique, Thank u

If the Arabs are Muslims or Christians, how can they fully be apart of the Jewish state. Im not trying to be insulting to any one, Im just really curious. This seems like a serious identity question that is being forced upon alot of people. Again Im curious and not trying to be insulting.

Just like his boys like Addington and Hadley wanted just one more terrorist attack so they could shred the Constitution, Cheney would have loved one more 9/11 to establish his own secret police here in the USA.

Im refering to East Jerusalem residents, not citizens.

Geneva and Lausanne are full of cameras watching the move of everyone. There are traffic cameras, security cameras everywhere. We cannot get on board of an airplane without our bodies are scanned. Unfortunately this is a gift to the world from a number of criminals and organizations like Al Kaida.

Secret police are always sinister. They can't help it. If they were not sinister they would not be secret police.

Heck we have secret police spying on Americans. Everyone does it. If you do not want to be spied upon, it is best to hew to the moderate or extreme right, though if you go too far you will attract attention.

Your post is factually incorrect: They are in fact citizens, with full rights. The article is referring to ISRAELI arabs, living within Israel-proper, with full citizenship and rights. You ought to have a handle on at least basic facts before you jump in here. Then again, most of the Israel bashers here haven't got a clue...

It is simply amazing that Haaretz is so vehemently anti-Israel that they are even opposed to ordinary law enforcement methods. Law enforcement everywhere infiltrates criminal organizations to fight crime. Does Haaretz feel that Arabs are so privleged that they are exempt?

What is strange is the fact that you misconstrue the article; Very odd that you understood that the only people being watched are Arab citizens.

Apparently you are unaware that Israeli police monitor ultra-rightwing jews in Israel very closely. No different than its arab citizens. Salaam/shalom!

Whether they are Arabs or Jews. These crime families are threat to the people who they live among as well as to the rest of the citizens of the state.

According to Pappe's book, Israel placed undercover Jews posing as Arabs in Palestinian villages back in 1948. Intent was to identify leaders and then later to coerce them.

It is a fact that alot of crime & terror is based in arab towns. You get areas like that all over the world where some towns have less criminal activity than others. This unit is nothing more than undercover police who have trained specially to know hoe to operate in arab towns. Most modern countries will have units like this but Haaretz is making it sound like some kind of secret unit set up to pick on arabs when its nothing but old fashioned undercover police work & the fact they operate out of arab towns is because thats where the crime is.

Now if they would do a similar thing in settler groups to stop their terror attacks on innocent Palestinians, it would be great.

Who is Avshai Raviv? What was he sent to do? Who sent him? What were the results of this actions? My memory is not so good. Can someone please help me on this.

Here we go again. I get the impression that Netandyahu/Lieberman spend most of their time on the "Kill the peace plan" than any other issue. Job one is stirring up the Arabs---and creating the new "non partner" in peace.

they are not citizens, they should be under PLO control.

Similar units are found in every country including the US, UK, Germany, France, Sweden, Spain, Italy, Greece,... not to mention ... choose a country from A to Z... In Germany the special units went as far as not just to infiltrate various organizations to gather intelligence but in some cases to create, fund and encourage anti-state groups. In the court case, for example, to outlaw the NPD it emerged that the German intelligence services (BND, the equivalent to the CIA) had agents playing such critical funding, management, ideological and organizational roles to the extent it was unclear to the courts if the illegal anti-constitutional activities might have been directed by the BND itself. In the US, UK, France, Sweden.. similar stories.. In many of these countries its even about doing their dirty work against... In Sweden its been asked over the past decade if the neo-Nazis have been infiltrated by the police or have the neo-Nazis infiltrated the police.. no difference..

all terrorists should be 'monitored.' It's the least Israel can do.

....but to be fair, some of the surrounding Arab states are not a bit better in that regard.

They seemed to be completely OK with the special units to monitor the Jewish settlers.

Incitement, that's what it is. Announcing this is an example of the word ballets we are watching since this coalition is in office. They are being refined on our backs. Arabs and Jews in Israel are equal citizens with equal rights. A banana anyone?

Why does Haaretz use the provocative term secret unit while describing undercover crime prevention police operations. The body of the story describes a successful anti crime operation in non-arab parts of Israel being extended into arab areas.

The one who should be the most happy are the law abiding citizens of the Arab towns who will be rid of the drug dealers thieves and traitors who plague them.

Quite so, BBSNews. Good point. Interesting, though, that the activities of a supposedly secret police find their way onto the pages of Haaretz. Is this stupidity or brazenness on the part of the authorities? By the way, the BBC today reports the bulldozing of a Palestinian home in East Jerusalem, illegal by international law and in the present climate an extraordinary provocation. Why isn't that in Haaretz this morning?

Thank you indeed Haaretz for this important article. But why does Israel want to treats its Arabian citizens in different manner than Jewish peoples. This not clear from this reporting today you posted. (Thanks Ali)

Get a grip. Police use undercover agents to "spy" on criminals of all walks of life all over the world - because they are Criminals. This story deals with the fact that the criminals in instance happen to be Arab and therefore agents need certain expertise (language, culture, etc.) Regarding security threats - do you think the FBI doesn't infiltrate (or try to) potentially threatening organizations? Also - what may be "vile" about the palestinian arabs, is that while most of us would love peace (or even non-violent coexistence) most arab leadership cannot and will not relinquish its claims to destroy us entirely. So if it takes a wall, or an electric fence or a squad of soldiers to keep people who want to kill me over on their own (or potentially own) land, so be it.

"Undercover cops operating in East Jerusalem, to thwart TERROR attacks" I don't think I like Haaretz's use of the loaded word "terror" instead of militant. We know that the Editors at Haaretz usually catch such blatant politization of the news BEFORE being published! What happened this time???

How very strange. Very very strange

I beleive in Israel's right to defend itself. This is not bad. It's even good for Arab citizens sufering from crime. The Arab regimes use violent and terror methods. At least Israel is a country of law and order. (Thanks Olivia)