The Islamic State (IS) and the Transition to a Model of Inspiration
- 42. Since the establishment of the Islamic State in June 2014, the organization has worked to implement the concept of a supraterritorial caliphate, which is the basis of its ideological doctrine, according to which the aspiration to establish an Islamic entity that transcends borders around the world and works to establish a framework of life based on Islamic Sharia, while realizing jihad against the infidels. The Madras is a "hostel" for a large audience of activists and supporters whose common denominator is their belief in the organization's ideological doctrine and its radical Islamic views, regardless of nationality or other. This principle is one of the organization's points of attraction for Israeli Arabs, who often feel "identity confusion" and are looking for a broader ideological common denominator. In order to implement the concept of supraterritorial succession, the Islamic State is required to "Human Capital" Extensive scope that spans different regions. Thus, alongside the organization's operatives in Syria and Iraq (the organization's historical bastions of succession), the organization's leadership sought to develop additional mechanisms that would enable it to realize its vision of cross-border activity.
In this framework, the organization has developed three mechanisms of activity vis-à-vis the external arenas, the main one of which is the "inspiration model – encouraging independent activity of individuals/cells around the world in the name of the MDC idea – this model has become one of the most prominent models of its activity since the organization's inception and has led to dozens of serious attacks throughout the Western world and Israel (the shooting attack in Dizengoff in January 2016; the shooting attack in Sarona in June 2016; the vehicular attack on the Armon Hanatziv promenade in January 2017; and a backlog of attacks in 2022.
This phenomenon differs in essence from ISIS's institutionalized military activity in that it focuses on recruiting Islamic elements living in Western countries and Israel, and who do not have direct official ties to the organization, but rather act in the name of its ideological doctrine as part of their sense that they are part of the broader Midas community. The feeling that intensifies following their exposure on the Internet to the propaganda content of the organization's ideological and operational seminary also leads them to promote attacks in its name, in a manner that allows the organization to "cut a cognitive coupon" in the form of taking responsibility for the attacks, which expands the total number of actions registered in its name.
- 43. According to the opinion, an examination of the nature of the activity of the MDAS vis-à-vis Israel in the light of the above 3 models, It shows that since the establishment of the organization until today, there has been a different activity in Israel in the model of inspiration. The lack of organizational institutionalization did not prevent the organization from becoming attractive and a model of inspiration among the Arabs of Israel and the Negev, and especially among young people who saw the organization's ideas as an "ideological roof over their heads", this was reflected in the massive consumption of the organization's content on the Internet, a phenomenon that led to increased radicalization among Israeli Arabs and a growing willingness on their part to promote military activity inspired by the organization.
Some of the supporters of Da'ar'ar Shana among Israeli Arabs have acted over the years in accordance with instructions that were disseminated as a product of the organization's propaganda, guidelines that were intended for the masses of the informed, just as activists belonging to official districts act in accordance with the instructions given to them through the internal communication channels (for example, between the translation of two main instructions distributed by Da'ar'ar to the public that supports joining the fighting in the ranks of Da'ar'ar, there was a difference in Syria and Iraq, when dozens of supporters from among the Arabs of Israel and the Negev went out to these arenas, mainly between the years 2014 and 2017 and implemented Attacks in the Domestic Arena in Israeli Territory as noted above