An intelligence assessment from 1953, three years before the Sinai War, warns the Palestinian minority in Israel would act as a fifth column if a war broke out, stating explicitly: “Arabs living in Israel should be considered a hostile entity during an emergency.” However, this pronouncement never did pan out in reality, nor is it compatible with the facts presented in the very same document.
Annex E: Israeli Arabs during the second round
This annex is part of the annual intelligence assessment issued by the IDF’s Operations Directorate Intelligence Department. It examines the possibility of “The Arab minority in Israel becoming an active fifth column in case of war between Israel and Arab countries.”
