Clandestine army unit behind Israel's art attacks

Occupied Jerusalem: Aside from bombs, Israel has been raining propaganda leaflets on Lebanon in the hope of winning the hearts and minds of the Lebanese.

Israeli strategists believe that engaging in psy-ops or propaganda warfare is an effective way of winning the war in Lebanon.

The propaganda drops are the handiwork of a secret Israeli army unit that was on the brink of being decommissioned.

R, a cartoonist in the art department of the Israeli army propaganda unit, said they were doing nothing and were about to be discharged when the fighting broke out.

"The Israeli army was ready to release me. I had no work, my unit was not active and there were no funds. The Lebanese war brought back my job and status," said R, whose identity could not be revealed for fear of reprisal from the Israelis.

R, a civilian, was responsible for drawing the cartoon of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah depicting him as a snake. The caricature was included in the first set of propaganda leaflets circulated in southern Lebanon during the initial days of the fighting.

Leafletting or propaganda drops were also employed by the Israelis in the Gaza Strip.

"My drawings are not intended to degrade anyone, they are only artistic work in the service of Israel," R said.

R's unit is so clandestine that nobody knows how many people work there or who's in charge.

But information leaked from within the organisation indicates that the unit employs a pool of cartoonists, propaganda writers and psychologists.

The unit was organised along with the formation of the Israeli army.

It's mission was to break the symbols of the Arab world and sow disinformation.

"Leaflets helped in preparing the ground before the arrival of the Israeli army," said retired Colonel Yaqub Amidrou.

During the first Lebanese war, the unit was said to be responsible or sending out poison letters degrading resistance leaders and instilling fear in the populace.

After the war, the unit had nothing to do and became almost moribund.

Before July 12, the art unit was up and running in Gaza badmouthing Hamas political bureau chairman Khalid Mishaal and calling him an opportunist that only cares for his own benefits.

"This style has a huge psychological impact on simple people, but does not affect politically-aware people. On the contrary, this thing fans their anger, and this might be one of their objectives," says a political observer in Lebanon.