JERUSALEM, July 9: The soldiers in Israel's most secret battalion learn Arabic, know how to apply stage makeup, and drill in a movie set-style West Bank village made of plywood.

Their mission: stalking and snatching Palestinians wanted for violence against Israel.

Undercover soldiers whose lives depend on secrecy came under intense public scrutiny last week when agents mingled with Palestinian stone-throwers in Hebron, even hurled a few rocks, then jumped four of the startled rioters and dragged them away at gunpoint.

The arrests, during which undercover soldiers kicked and captured Palestinians lying on the ground, triggered new debate in Israel about the units, created in 1988 during the peak of Palestinian revolt against Israeli occupation.

Human rights groups say undercover units are illegal and operate without the restraints placed on uniformed soldiers. One Israeli group, Betselem, said 161 Palestinians, including 19 under age 16, have died in undercover ambushes.

West Bank army commander, Maj Gen Gabi Ofir, defended the units as crucial to Israel's security, saying they were the ``spearhead in the war against terror.''

But the soldiers themselves do not appear immune from doubt.A former member of the army undercover unit `Duvdevan' the Hebrew word for `cherry' said he served in an atmosphere in which the lives of targeted Palestinians counted for little, and the most ruthless soldiers were most admired. ``We were all too eager. We didn't take too many chances to keep them alive,'' said Mark, 27, who spoke on condition his real name not be used.

However, Roni Daniel, a military correspondent for Israel TV's channel two who recently spent several days with a Duvdevan unit, said he encountered only serious, level-headed people who had survived an exacting selection process that weeds out 99 of 100 applicants.

``They don't hate the Arabs. They try hard to understand them. But they are dealing with terrorists, and are determined to catch them,'' Daniel said.Last week, Daniel showed rare footage from a Duvdevan training exercise in a fake Palestinian village made of plywood facades, with a donkey in a pen and the Muslim call to prayer wailing out of a mosque loudspeaker.

Behind the facade, soldiers changed from their olive uniforms into jeans, shirts and sneakers, and had fake beard stubble applied by a makeup artist.In the role playing, Palestinians stoned an Israeli army jeep and burned a tire in the village street. Suddenly, two make-believe protesters jumped the ringleader, locked him in a choke hold, hauled him into a white mercedes and sped away, waving guns from the car window to keep the crowd at bay.

The Duvdevan soldiers are trained for quick surprise raids, not long-term undercover assignments, the reasoning apparently being that Palestinians would quickly spot a non-native speaker.

In basic training, undercover soldiers learn useful phrases in Arabic that will help them conceal their true identity during the few minutes they need to get close to their targets. They also learn how to apply makeup, wigs and beards.

Mark, who is stocky with a light complexion, said he usually was disguised as a Palestinian woman. He would shave, apply foundation and eyeliner and partially veil his face.

He would wear a floor-length traditional robe, roomy enough for hiding a gun. The gown had snaps that Mark could quickly rip open once the chase began and he had to move fast.

The disguises didn't always work. The fake moustache of one of Mark's mates once came unglued while they were mingling with Palestinian stone-throwers. The Palestinians threw stones at the Israelis, who barely escaped.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.