In recent years Israel’s control over the Palestinian people in the
occupied territories has changed. While the presence of the Israeli army
has been greatly reduced, the occupation has taken a more invisible form.
In her new book The Bureaucracy of Occupation, attorney Yael Berda
sheds light on how the Israeli secret service (the Shabak) exploits every
point of contact with Palestinians, especially the imposed permit system,
to recruit informants to further its control over the population. Activist Anan
Quzmar of Birzeit University’s Rights to Education campaign tells The
Real News’ Lia Tarachansky how this form of “phantom control” makes
political involvement and activism nearly impossible.