|
ISRAEL ARMY - IDF - T SHIRTS
with the print of the
Special Operations Group
During 1920-1945, Israel was under a British regime (Mandate). The civilians were both Jews and Arabs and they frequently engage each other, usually over territorial disputes. The British mostly sided with the Arabs, and while the Arabs were allowed to carry weapons, the Jews weren't allowed to organize, carry arms and to protect themselves. As a result, in 1920-1929 the Israeli Jews formed several underground resistance movements, with main purpose of protecting fellow Jews from the Arab terrorists attacks, and eventually to force the British out of Israel.
The largest and most powerful of those underground movements was the Defense ("Hagana" in Hebrew). In 1941 the Hagana formed the Smash Companies ("Plugot Hamachat'z - PALMACH", in Hebrew), which were the SF Units of their time. Among the PALMACH were the Undercover Mistaravim teams (known then as the 'Arabic Platoon'). These special teams were dressed as Arabs and were used to covertly move weapons and equipment.
When the Israeli state was formed, and the IDF could freely and openly move its equipment, there was no longer a need for these teams and they were disbanded. But in 1987 when the Intifada - the Palestinian uprising against the Israeli regime in the Occupied Territories - broke out, the Israeli security services (the IDF, the Israeli Border Guard - MAGAV and the Israeli Police - IP) that were inspired by the success of PALMACH Mistaravim teams, formed new units of Mistaravim.
|
