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The Palestinian Nuclear Option

(Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs) Irwin J. Mansdorf, Ph.D. - The past two years of war have been a lesson in psychological asymmetry, the phenomenon whereby a strong military force "loses" a psychological battle to a weaker force. The Western world has fallen victim to the psychological ammunition of a people who have used victimhood psychologically and terror militarily. Victimhood is the psychological equivalent of a nuclear weapon. It utterly changes the perceptual landscape and casts fallout that spreads well beyond the borders of the conflict itself. It erases any weakness or guilt associated with behavior that would otherwise be considered horrific. Victimhood allows an aggressor the freedom to be absolved of any accusation that they, in fact, are responsible for the consequences of their behavior. While victimhood may create a psychologically weaker Israel in the West, its effect in the Middle East may be the polar opposite. Here, power, not victimhood, is respected, and Israel is seen as a force to be reckoned with. Clear victories in Lebanon and Iran have cast a shadow of grudging respect borne of fear across the entire region. In an area where Israel can strike thousands of kilometers from home, there is no appetite to be the next victim. The writer is a clinical psychologist and a fellow at the Jerusalem Center specializing in political psychology.
2025-09-25 00:00:00
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