The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) is investigating the death of an archaeologist in Lebanon, which has shone a light on an emerging trend of civilian settlers and pro-Israel influencers being invited into the tightly controlled battlefields of Gaza and Lebanon.
Zeev Erlich, 71, was killed in a gun battle with Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon this week, after being allowed to join a military unit participating in the invasion. Erlich was armed and in uniform but he was not an active duty soldier or a reservist, the IDF said, although his death was recorded as a military casualty.
A historian and archaeologist, Erlich was known as a prolific publisher of research on Jewish connections to sites in the occupied West Bank. He was reportedly inspecting an ancient fortress in Lebanon that may have featured in the Bible, when he was killed along with two soldiers.
Erlich was also an active member of the settler movement and lived in a West Bank settlement that is illegal under international law. A far right group that is campaigning to build settlements in southern Lebanon said he “managed to prepare a map of the Jewish sites in Lebanon that will need to be excavated when the area is in our possession”.
Uri Tzafon – “Awaken the North” – also called for the establishment of a settlement at the site of Erlich’s death.
The researcher’s trip into Lebanon was not authorised, according to the IDF, which announced an investigation into the incident as well as the formation of a committee to probe “the maintenance of operational discipline” in the military.
Israel’s public broadcaster, Kan, has since published details of an investigation that found West Bank settlers were allowed into Gaza with a military escort to plan for construction of settlements in the Palestinian territory.
Daniella Weiss, the far right head of the Nachala movement that has established settlements over decades in the West Bank and is campaigning to build them in Gaza, entered the territory on 13 November with the help of military officers, the network reported, where she was driven around the Netzarim Corridor that divides the Strip.
“One of the goals of the tour was to examine places where the settlers will be able to enter,” Kan reported. “Initially, according to their plan, they will enter and unofficially attach themselves to the military bases and infrastructure in Gaza, and then turn them into official and recognised settlements.”
Weiss confirmed the trip in a video interview with the network, and plans for settlements in Gaza. “We are no longer preparing…as soon as we can enter, we enter,” she said. “We won’t wait for a water monitor and generator.”
An IDF spokesperson said the visit was not approved. “It is against the law and procedures and will be dealt with accordingly,” they said.
Professor Kobi Michael, a military analyst at the Israeli think tanks the Institute for National Security Studies and the Misgav Institute, said the incidents were “embarrassing” and damaging for the military.
“The IDF headquarters and supreme command must regain control over such violations sooner rather than later,” he said, attributing the incidents to “erosion of discipline” in the army ranks and a lack of oversight from senior commanders.
Dr Michael said he hoped that with the formation of the new investigation committee “everyone will be much more cautious from now on”.
Israel has also granted rare access to the battlefields for hand-picked pundits and influencers – while international media have been shut out of Gaza throughout the war outside of carefully curated trips.
The army has repeatedly hosted pro-Israel commentator, Douglas Murray, in both Gaza and Lebanon. He was pictured in a chair said to have been used by Hamas chief, Yahya Sinwar, days after his assassination, and accompanied soldiers into Lebanon where he backed Israel’s claims that the UN peacekeepers were turning a blind eye to Hezbollah activity.
Pro-Israel pundits with large social media followings such as British military veteran, Andrew Fox, and Australian academic, John Spencer, have also been invited on multiple tours.
Johnny Mercer, a former MP, posted a selfie from Gaza on social media in September. “I’ve never seen a more complex operating environment,” he said, thanking Israel advocacy group, Elnet, for facilitating the trip.
Elnet and the IDF did not comment on requests for details on such trips, how many were taking place, and security measures for civilians visiting active battlefields.
Yaakov Amidror, a former IDF General and national security advisor, said allowing pro-Israel pundits to visit parts of Gaza and Lebanon is “very important for their ability to represent the Israeli point of view”.
Security risks are generally better controlled than in the case of Erlich, he said, but all visitors to the battlefield “have to accept some risk”.
Dr Andreas Krieg, a senior lecturer at the School of Security Studies at King’s College London, said visits such as Murray’s were an unorthodox form of propaganda.
“This has become a strange phenomenon of ‘sightseeing’ of pro-Israel pundits whereby Israel regulates access strategically to the battlefield to distort coverage on the war in Gaza and Lebanon,” he said. “It shows how insecure Israel feels in terms of where its public diplomacy and strategic communication is going that it has to invite uncritical cheerleaders to amplify Israeli talking points.”
Dr Yossi Mekelberg, a Middle East analyst at Chatham House, described the visits of settlers as “sheer madness.”
“This is a war zone not a tourist attraction or a tour for estate agents to look for investment in property,” he said. “The cosy relations between settlers and the military got to a point that it endangers security. In (Erlich’s) case a young soldier was killed to satisfy someone’s fetishism with ancient places.”
Dr Mekelberg added that it was unclear if the visits of settlers to Gaza and Lebanon were an indication that settlements would soon be constructed in those territories.
“It means that some people believe they can push the government to agree to do that,” he said. “Time will tell if that is true.”
