Siege Mentality in Israel

  • Daniel Bar-Tal Tel-Aviv University
  • Dikla Antebi Tel-Aviv University

Abstract

Israeli Jews harbor the belief that the world has negative behavioral intentions toward them. This belief reflects their deeply embedded Siege Mentatility. A long history of world's persecutions and hatred throughout the world, epitomized by the Holocaust has grounded Siege Mentality in the Jewish tradition. In the present century, the beliefs of Siege Mentality playing an important role in Zionistic ideology, have become part of the Isreali ethos. A review provided several examples of Siege Mentality beliefs as expressed in the Israeli literature, films, education, press and by political leaders. These beliefs have an influence on Israeli attitudes and behaviors, causing mistrust and negative attitudes toward the world, sensitivity to information coming from the world, pressure to conformity among the Israeli Jews, and self-defensive acts. It is suggested that within the framework of Siege Mentality beliefs and their consequece, can the Israeli way of managing the Middle-Eastern conflict be understood.

Published
2017-11-03