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'Traitors, Snitches, Collaborators'

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'Traitors, Snitches, Collaborators' Master’s Thesis in Peace and Conflict Studies Department of Peace and Conflict Research Uppsala University ‘Traitors, Snitches, Collaborators’ Analysing In-Group Criticism Towards Peace Organisations in Intractable Conflict Marthe Hiev Hamidi Abd Abad Spring 2019 Supervised by Kristine Höglund Wordcount: 22.994 Abstract. Identity serves two functions: it orders our environment, and it gives us a sense of certainty. The role played by identity in the intractability of conflict has recently sparked a new line of research. Drawing on insights from social psychological research, I argue that intractable conflict circumstances bolster social identities and create rigid group norms, which affect the vulnerability of peace movement organizations that operate in this context. I hypothesize that peace organizations that disregard prominent group beliefs regarding the conflict, are more likely to be severely criticized at the collective level. For the empirical analysis, I turn to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a typical case of on-going intractable conflict. I compare the results of a qualitative content analysis of expressions of in-group criticism towards local Israeli peace organisations in local media reporting, within the framework of group beliefs (2005-2018). The results indicate an overall trend of in-group criticism towards peace organisations in Israel, based on which suggestions for advances to the theory are made. Table of Contents List of Abbreviations ........................................................................................................... 4 1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 5 2. Previous Literature: Peace Organisations in Conflict .............................................. 8 2.1 Peace movements and peace organisations .............................................................. 9 2.2 In-Group Criticism Explained ................................................................................. 10 Uncertainty Reduction ..................................................................................................... 11 2.3 The Socio-Psychological Infrastructure in Intractable Conflict ........................ 12 Hypotheses ......................................................................................................................... 17 3. Research Design ........................................................................................................... 18 Case selection ..................................................................................................................... 18 Operationalization & Method ........................................................................................ 19 Timeframe .......................................................................................................................... 21 Sources ................................................................................................................................ 21 4. Analysis: Prominent Group Beliefs & (Severe) In-Group Criticism ................... 23 Background to the Israeli Palestinian-conflict ............................................................ 23 The First and Second Intifada ........................................................................................ 24 4.1 Breaking the Silence ................................................................................................... 26 IV: Assessment of Group Beliefs .................................................................................... 27 DV: Expressions of Criticism against Breaking the Silence .................................... 29 Foreign Agents ................................................................................................................... 30 Silencing Breaking the Silence? ..................................................................................... 34 Breaking the Silence Must Be Silenced ........................................................................ 36 4.2 B’tselem – The Israeli Information Centre for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories ........................................................................................................................... 38 IV: Assessment of Group Beliefs .................................................................................... 39 DV: Expressions of Criticism Against B’tselem ......................................................... 42 B’tselem’s disengagement from the IDF ..................................................................... 46 ‘Traitor’: El-Ad Addressing the UN Security Council ............................................... 47 Who is B’tselem Serving? ................................................................................................. 49 4.3 Zochrot .......................................................................................................................... 52 IV: Assessment of Group Beliefs .................................................................................... 53 DV: Expressions of Criticism against Zochrot ........................................................... 54 The Nakba Film Festival ................................................................................................. 56 2 4.4 Yesh Din – Volunteers for Human Rights ............................................................. 58 IV: Assessment of Group Beliefs .................................................................................... 59 DV: Expressions of criticism against Yesh Din .......................................................... 60 5. Comparative case analysis ........................................................................................... 63 Literature ............................................................................................................................. 68 Acknowledgements 3 Acknowledgements This thesis would have not come to fruition with out the help of a number of people. First, I would like to express my gratitude to Professor Kristine Höglund, my advisor, for guiding me through the exploratory stage of this project to its final touches. Thank you for your readiness to share your insights and expertise, as well as your frequent encouragement to stay concentrated and motivated. To Clea, Yaloe and Matthias, I would like to thank you for reading and providing useful comments on the earlier drafts of this thesis. To David, thank you for your long-distance love. My utmost gratitude belongs to Josephien and Asghar, my mother and father, for their invaluable support and welcome distractions whenever in doubt. List of Abbreviations BtS Breaking the Silence IDF Israel Defense Forces MK Member of Knesset (Israeli Parliament) NGO Non-Governmental Organisation OPT Occupied Palestinian Territories PM Prime Minister UN United Nations UNSC United Nations Security Council 4 1. Introduction In the summer of 2016, the Israeli Parliament passed the ‘Foreign Government NGO Funding Transparency Bill’, which legally enforces non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Israel to publish their sources of funding, if more than half of it derives from foreign political entities. According to officials, “[the law tries] to deal with the phenomenon of NGOs who represent in Israel, in a non-transparent manner, the outside interests of foreign states, while pretending to be a domestic organisation concerned with the interests of the Israeli public.”1 Consequent to the passing of this Bill, the Israeli government published a list of 20 somewhat NGO’s that were affected, and now legally obliged to publish their sources of funding. Several local and international NGO’s and activists reacted critically to the official discourse surrounding the passing of this legislation, as they felt that listed organisations were being portrayed as foreign agents to the Israeli public, thereby turning it into a ‘blacklist’. Notably, it is not only the right-wing Israeli government that maligns peace organisations in Israel; criticism towards this specific type of organisation also exists within broader civil society23. Take for example the Israeli whistleblowing veteran organisation ‘Breaking the Silence’, which profiles itself as a Jewish organisation consisting of Israeli veterans that “wages peace” by ‘exposing the public to the daily reality of the occupation’ through the publishing of testimonies by former soldiers about their activities while they were on military duty’ (website Breaking the Silence). After being asked how the Israeli public regards ‘Breaking the Silence’ (BtS), a 25-year-old male, who generally does not vote and who took part in Operation Protective Edge in Gaza in 2014 replied “Not good. In Israel, ‘Breaking the Silence’ is regarded very badly. They are accused of publishing false testimonies (Anonymous source, personal communication, March 16, 2019).” When told that the Israeli Defence Force’s (IDF) censor first has to approve all testimonies before BtS can publish them, this respondent merely shrugged his shoulders. 1 https://www.menschenrechte.org/en/2018/07/12/the-struggle-of-human-rights-ngos-and-the-funding- transparency-law-in-israel/ 2 In July 2018, a bill was passed in the Israeli Parliament to prevent the organisation from entering school premises2 In July 2018, or meeti a billng wasstudents passed to in give the lectures Israeli Parliament about their to experiences prevent the in organisation the Israeli
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