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The Psychology of Palestinian Distortions and Deceptions: Why Israel Is Losing International Sympathy

(Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) Irwin J. Mansdorf, Ph.D - Global opinion has moved from outrage at Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, to criticism of Israel just months later. How? A Palestinian strategy manipulates perception to distort and present an alternate reality. While the Hamas of Oct. 7 was a vicious terror organization, the passage of time has shifted perception to "innocent Palestinians" who are "victims," consistent with the ongoing Palestinian chronicle of victimization used as a central motif in their national narrative. Facts and accurate information will not always effectively counter misinformation based on previous perceptions created by Palestinian sources. The "primacy effect," where first impressions persist, plays a psychological role. Palestinians distort reality by providing material for perceptions that feed a cognitive set that promotes favoring perceived victims who are presented as suffering, with images of casualties, poor housing conditions, lack of food, and emotional distress. Western thinking that elicits sympathy for victims and absolves them of responsibility feeds into the deception strategy of Palestinian terror. While contextual reality is the basis for accurate information, Palestinians distort this by using civilians as psychological human shields in a cognitive war. Countering with the "truth" is likely ineffective unless the "truth" is framed in a context that appeals to the same cognitive framework of "fairness" and victim appeal that Palestinians have been using. While sterile "counter-narratives" are ineffective, research suggests that adding emotive imagery and personalization can help change perceptions and reality. The writer is a fellow at the Jerusalem Center specializing in political psychology and a member of the emergency division of the IDF Homefront Command.
2024-03-26 00:00:00
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