Centre for Consciousness Operations
Encyclopedia
The Centre for Consciousness Operations (Hebrew
המרכז למבצעי תודעה), abbreviated Malat (מל"ת) is an IDF
Operations Directorate
unit which specializes in psychological warfare
.
officers and civilian psychologists headed by a senior Colonel
, with an emphasis on Arabic speakers.
The unit was a product of several unsuccessful attempts to renew the psychological warfare front in the IDF. The units doctrine is to influence Palestinian public opinion using "propaganda, psychological warfare and sometimes disinformation." As the Military Intelligence Directorate opposed including psychological warfare in its operations, it has been placed in an unusual position in the IDF hierarchy: subordinate to the head of the Operations Branch of the IDF general staff, or "professionally guided," as the arrangement was officially titled by the head of Aman
, which in effect means it is a body with greater autonomy than its predecessors.
A senior IDF officer has, however, criticized the new unit for being a "white elephant
" and for wasting "time and resources [by attempting to] accompany every military operation with [its own] psychological warfare program."
The Malat's most famous activity was the Malshinon Operation, which entailed the distribution of a massive number of pamphlets prompting Palestinians to call an IDF voicemail with warnings of imminent Qassam rocket
launches.
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
המרכז למבצעי תודעה), abbreviated Malat (מל"ת) is an IDF
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
Operations Directorate
Israeli Operations Directorate
The Israeli Operations Directorate is a branch in the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, established in 1999, and alongside the regional commands, the Air Force and Sea corps and General Staff directorates, is responsible in planning for the exercising of military force...
unit which specializes in psychological warfare
Psychological warfare
Psychological warfare , or the basic aspects of modern psychological operations , have been known by many other names or terms, including Psy Ops, Political Warfare, “Hearts and Minds,” and Propaganda...
.
History
Formerly known as the psychological warfare unit, the unit was reactivated between 2004 and 2005 following five years of reduced operations and comprises intelligenceIsraeli Intelligence Community
The Israeli Intelligence Community is the designation given to the complex of organizations responsible for intelligence collection, dissemination, and research for the State of Israel...
officers and civilian psychologists headed by a senior Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
, with an emphasis on Arabic speakers.
The unit was a product of several unsuccessful attempts to renew the psychological warfare front in the IDF. The units doctrine is to influence Palestinian public opinion using "propaganda, psychological warfare and sometimes disinformation." As the Military Intelligence Directorate opposed including psychological warfare in its operations, it has been placed in an unusual position in the IDF hierarchy: subordinate to the head of the Operations Branch of the IDF general staff, or "professionally guided," as the arrangement was officially titled by the head of Aman
Aman (IDF)
The Directorate of Military Intelligence is Israel's central, overarching military intelligence, of the Israel Defense Forces. Aman was created in 1950, when the Intelligence Department was spun off from the IDF's General Staff ; the Intelligence Department itself was composed largely of former...
, which in effect means it is a body with greater autonomy than its predecessors.
A senior IDF officer has, however, criticized the new unit for being a "white elephant
White elephant
A white elephant is an idiom for a valuable but burdensome possession of which its owner cannot dispose and whose cost is out of proportion to its usefulness or worth...
" and for wasting "time and resources [by attempting to] accompany every military operation with [its own] psychological warfare program."
The Malat's most famous activity was the Malshinon Operation, which entailed the distribution of a massive number of pamphlets prompting Palestinians to call an IDF voicemail with warnings of imminent Qassam rocket
Qassam rocket
The Qassam rocket is a simple steel artillery rocket developed and deployed by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military arm of Hamas. Three models have been produced and used between 2001 and 2011....
launches.