The Impact of a Cognitive System of Political Elites on Israeli Foreign Policy: The Case of Benyamin Netanyahu

Arabameri, Javad; Eslami, Mohsen; Mousavi Shafaee, Seyed Masoud; Jamshidi, Mohammad Hosein

doi:10.22054/qpss.2021.61786.2871

The Impact of a Cognitive System of Political Elites on Israeli Foreign Policy: The Case of Benyamin Netanyahu

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Javad Arabameri ¹

Mohsen Eslami ²

Seyed Masoud Mousavi Shafaee ²

Mohammad Hosein Jamshidi ³

¹ Ph.D. Candidate.Department of international relations, Tarbiat Modares University.Tehran.Iran

² Associate Professor, Department of International Relations, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

³ Associate Professor, Department of International Relations, Tarbiat Modares University. Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22054/qpss.2021.61786.2871

Abstract

Benyamin Netanyahu has been the main figure in the Israeli political scene for the past decade. Since he has played a major role in shaping the Israeli foreign policy in the international arena, this study seeks to examine his leadership style and personality traits as an influential and at the same time a neglected factor in the foreign policy behavior of the state of Israel. Hence, the main hypothesis is the fact that Israel’s foreign policy behavior has been more influenced by Netanyahu’s cognitive system and leadership style. The conceptual/methodological framework used in this paper is Leadership Traits Analysis (LTA) proposed by Margaret G. Hermann with a focus on the Conceptual Complexity variable in this regard. The results of this study, which itself are the quantitative content analysis of Netanyahu’s verbal material from 2009 to 2019; suggest that BIBI’s low conceptual complexity and his black and white thinking to foreign policy with high belief in ability to control events, a high desire for power, and a strong distrust to others have shaped Netanyahu’s aggressive and hawkish approach to Israeli foreign policy, which can be seen in exaggerating the Iranian threat and opposing to the idea of a Palestinian independent state.

Keywords

Netanyahu

Israel

Foreign Policy

Leadership Traits Analysis (LTA)

Conceptual Complexity

20.1001.1.23456140.1401.11.42.5.9

اسلامی، محسن، (1393)، سیاست خارجی اسرائیل، (چاپ دوم)، تهران: انتشارات امیرکبیر.
افتخاری، اصغر، (1380)، جامعه‌شناسی سیاسی اسرائیل، تهران: مرکز مطالعات علمی و پژوهش‌های استراتژیک خاورمیانه.

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