Cognitive dissonance: Netanyahu's aggression shows he feels threatened - opinion

• Published date: 27 March 2024
• Author: DR. LIRAZ MARGALIT
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

He said, "We must be tough in negotiations," and added, "We cannot give everything straight away because the enemy will just want more." He said, "We need to draw a clear line regarding the strained relations with the United States. We need to say 'no,' and whoever can't say 'no' to the US shouldn't be prime minister."

Netanyahu's approach to negotiations with Hamas, as well as relations with the US, speaks volumes about his mental state. The prime minister presents a militant, aggressive, and confrontational stance – firing in every possible direction. How someone expresses themselves says a lot about their emotions. His aggressiveness shows that he feels attacked and threatened and therefore needs to fend off attacks against him. He feels that he is constantly being attacked from all sides and has no choice but to respond by counterattacking, as he believes that the best strategy for him is to strike back.

When he says that one must be tough in negotiations and that it's impossible to give away everything at the beginning, he is actually reflecting the deep conflict in which he finds himself. This is supported by something else he said – "I don't think there was [ever] a government that had to deal with problems like this."

Netanyahu's words reflect an inner turmoil called "cognitive dissonance" in psychology. Cognitive dissonance is a state of internal tension that occurs when reality contradicts our beliefs about ourselves.

If we believe that we are fair and upright people, and we behave in a way that contradicts this perception, for example, by lying or acting unjustly towards someone, we tend to tell ourselves stories that justify our actions. The power of cognitive dissonance is very strong and does not happen consciously. It's not that we are aware that we are telling ourselves stories; it's a defense mechanism that ensures consistency between our actions and our beliefs about ourselves.

We have an inherent tendency to try to alleviate this tension between reality and our beliefs, especially when we really want our beliefs to be correct. In fact, there is a process in which our brains "fit" the facts to our beliefs. For Netanyahu, in the story he tells himself, there is a strong need to feel that he is doing everything for the country. It's part of his identity. He tries as much as possible to suppress the fact that personal interests are also involved here, as well as his need to remain in power. Therefore, instead of pointing an accusing finger...