On October 7, 2023, a video was posted on the "Global Power" page, comparing the military
capabilities of the Israeli occupying army to what it referred to as the "Palestinian military." The video included a presentation of a range of weapons used by both "armies," along with some demographic information.
The creators of the video did not provide any verified sources for the claims they presented. They claimed that their information sources were based on online research. The video achieved significant engagement, with approximately 25 million views on Facebook. It was published amid the events following Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, which involved confrontations between Palestinian resistance factions and the Israeli occupying army.
Misbar reviewed the circulated video and analyzed the claims. It was evident that these claims are totally inaccurate. The video's creators depicted Israel and Palestine as two equal states, each having a well-equipped official army with advanced weaponry. They used symbolic images of advanced weapons from foreign armies and attributed them to the "Palestinian Army."
It was found that these weapons are not connected to Palestine, the Palestinian Authority, or Palestinian resistance groups. Additionally, the video ignored the issue of Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories and showed Palestine as an independent state confronting another independent state, which contradicts reality.
Israel’s Occupation of Palestine
After World War I and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, Britain took control of Palestine based on the Sykes-Picot Agreement with France. Then, in 1917, the Balfour Declaration was issued by Britain, in which they promised to establish a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine.
Jewish immigration to Palestine from different countries around the world increased during this period. In 1947, the United Nations issued Resolution 181, recommending separating Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state, with international administration of Jerusalem. The Israeli side accepted this resolution, while it was rejected by both the Arab and Palestinian sides.
On May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion declared the establishment of the state of Israel on Palestinian territories. "Israelis'' occupied 78% of Palestine's land, and the war led to the displacement of many Palestinians.
In 1967, Israeli occupation expanded into Palestinian territories, with Israel taking control of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which has the Al-Aqsa Mosque, in addition to occupying the Gaza Strip.
Is There a Recognition of the Palestinian State?
In 1993, the Oslo Accords were reached between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), leading to the establishment of the Palestinian National Authority in specific areas of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. This agreement gave Palestinians a form of self-governance (not full independence) in the West Bank and Gaza. Despite progress toward the ultimate goal, which includes the creation of an independent Palestinian state in these areas, which has not been achieved so far.
As of July 2019, 138 countries have recognized Palestine as an independent state out of the 193 member states of the United Nations. This recognition is based on the pre-1967 borders, including the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem. However, some major countries, such as the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, and Canada, do not recognize Palestine as an independent state. These countries support a solution known as the "two-state solution" and tie their recognition of Palestine to direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian National Authority.
Is there a Palestinian Army to be Compared with the Israeli Army ?
Israel has a well-organized military supported internationally, with approximately 187,000 regular soldiers and 565,000 reservists. The Israeli military is ranked 18th globally in terms of capabilities according to the Global Firepower Index. On the other hand, the Palestinians do not have a formal military and have not been allowed to establish an independent regular army on the remaining Palestinian territories under their control.
The decision to deny the Palestinians the formation of a regular army is linked to a some historical factors and events, including Israel's continued occupation of Palestinian territories, the lack of recognition of a Palestinian state by major powers, and a series of agreements containing security provisions.
By the Oslo Accords in 1993, certain areas were put under Israeli control. In addition to the Oslo Accords, there was the Paris Protocol (1994). These agreements restricted the ability of Palestinians to establish an independent military force. Besides the Oslo Accords, Israel signed various other security agreements with other countries, such as the Wadi Araba Agreement (1997) with Jordan, which outlined security cooperation and limited the Palestinian authorities in military issues.
Despite these agreements, many armed groups and Palestinian popular movements have emerged to resist the ongoing Israeli occupation for decades. One of the most prominent of these movements is Hamas, which has a military wing known as the "Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades" and primarily operates in the Gaza Strip. Hamas is one of the key factions within the different Palestinian resistance movements, and it was founded in 1987 during the first Palestinian Intifada.
Is It Possible To Compare the Capabilities of Palestinian Resistance and the Israeli Occupying Army?
A direct comparison cannot be made between armed Palestinian resistance groups and an official army like the Israeli army. An analysis based on the military capabilities reveals a significant difference in military equipment between the two sides.
Israeli Occupying Army: The Israeli occupying army is one of the most well-equipped in the world, having advanced weaponry and military technologies. It is known for the diversity of its ground, air, and naval forces and has a wide range of fighter aircraft, helicopters, and tanks.
Israel also has nuclear capabilities, making it a regional nuclear power. The Israeli military has an advanced air defense system, with one of its prominent components being the "Iron Dome" system. Its mission is to intercept and destroy incoming missiles from outside its borders. Additionally, Israel has a huge air force with hundreds of aircraft, including advanced fighter jets and military helicopters equipped with outstanding aviation technologies.
The Palestinian resistance: The Palestinian resistance forces do not provide precise statistics on their weapons and troop numbers. However, in comparison to the weapons of the Israeli occupying army, they use relatively simple arms such as homemade rockets like "Qassam" and "Ayyash," as well as short-range unguided rockets, in addition to a variety of assault rifles.
The resistance also has locally made drones, which have been developed to enhance their firepower, including drones like "Ababil" and "Shehab." Although these weapons have improved and evolved over time, the resistance does not have any heavy weapons or known combat aircraft supplied to them on a regular basis, like the Israeli military has or as claimed in the circulated video.
The capabilities of the resistance forces are limited due to their constrained resources. Their military strength primarily relies on innovative strategies and tactics. It's important to consider that the Israeli occupying army has a significant advantage in terms of financial capabilities and political and military support, including the support of the United States. On the contrary, the resistance relies on limited and inconsistent support.
The claims shown in the circulated video are misleading, whether regarding the images of the weapons used, which, in reality, belong to foreign military forces, or the portrayal of both sides as "organized armies" or "two states at war" that can be compared based on their capabilities. This approach fails to acknowledge the structural differences and variations in the capabilities and resources of the two sides, while ignoring the issue of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.
Read More
The Palestinian Nakba: A Case Study of Disinformation and the Power of Language
Misrepresentation in the Western Media Coverage of the 1948 Palestinian Nakba
