CHANGING PERCEPTION OF ISRAEL

Abstract

This study examines the changing perception of Israel among politicians, artists, and the public following the outbreak of conflict between Israel and Hamas in 2023. As a result of the hostilities, the Israeli state bombed schools, hospitals, and refugee camps in Palestine without regard for humanitarian considerations, leading to the tragic deaths of thousands of innocent Palestinians, with the killing still ongoing. Those who survived have been left facing hunger and extreme hardship. This situation has forced many Palestinians to flee, and some of the areas they left have been taken over by Israeli settlers. The international media has widely reported on these events through photographs and documents, which has begun to shift global public opinion on Israel. In particular, the Israeli government’s actions in Palestine—its use of violence in violation of international law, the threats to Palestinian human security, displacement, land and property losses, and struggles for identity and independence—have become increasingly visible, especially among the populations of Western countries that have historically supported Israel. The wave of criticism from political leaders, artists, and prominent figures in society, along with widespread protests in many countries, has led to Israel being associated with concepts such as ethnic cleansing, genocide, mass psychosis, settler colonialism, and Zionism. A key indicator of this shift is the International Criminal Court’s issuance of an arrest warrant for Netanyahu. These developments demonstrate a transformation in the political perception of Israel, influenced by cognitive, emotional, and ideological factors. In this study, data were obtained from primary and secondary sources, and a qualitative research method was employed.

Keywords

• Israel
• Palestine
• War
• Political Perception

DEĞİŞEN İSRAİL ALGISI

Abstract

This study examines the changing perception of Israel among politicians, artists, and the public following the outbreak of conflict between Israel and Hamas in 2023. As a result of the hostilities, the Israeli state bombed schools, hospitals, and refugee camps in Palestine without regard for humanitarian considerations, leading to the tragic deaths of thousands of innocent Palestinians, with the killing still ongoing. Those who survived have been left facing hunger and extreme hardship. This situation has forced many Palestinians to flee, and some of the areas they left have been taken over by Israeli settlers. The international media has widely reported on these events through photographs and documents, which has begun to shift global public opinion on Israel. In particular, the Israeli government’s actions in Palestine—its use of violence in violation of international law, the threats to Palestinian human security, displacement, land and property losses, and struggles for identity and independence—have become increasingly visible, especially among the populations of Western countries that have historically supported Israel. The wave of criticism from political leaders, artists, and prominent figures in society, along with widespread protests in many countries, has led to Israel being associated with concepts such as ethnic cleansing, genocide, mass psychosis, settler colonialism, and Zionism. A key indicator of this shift is the International Criminal Court’s issuance of an arrest warrant for Netanyahu. These developments demonstrate a transformation in the political perception of Israel, influenced by cognitive, emotional, and ideological factors. In this study, data were obtained from primary and secondary sources, and a qualitative research method was employed.

Keywords

• Israel
• Palestine
• War
• Political Perception

References

1. AL JAZEERA (2024). UN General Assembly: What did world leaders say about Israel’s war on Gaza?, Availble at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/10/1/un-general-assembly-what-did-world-leaders-say-about-israels-war-on-gaza-2
2. Başay, E. (2024). Berlin'de Filistin'e destek gösterisi düzenlendi, Availble at: https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/dunya/berlinde-filistine-destek-gosterisi-duzenlendi/3306790
3. BBC News Türkçe (2024a). Fransa - İsrail maçında tribünlerde arbede, stadyum dışında protesto, Availble at: https://www.bbc.com/turkce/articles/ce3yk19w0vvo
4. BBC News Türkçe (2024b). ABD'de 140 üniversiteye yayılan Gazze protestoları: Biden'dan 'Düzen yeniden sağlanmalı' açıklaması, Availble at: https://www.bbc.com/turkce/articles/c043xg41k21o
5. Biogradlija, L. (2024). UCM'nin Netanyahu ve Gallant'ı tutuklama emrini Avrupa ülkelerinin büyük çoğunluğu uygulayacak, Avaible at: https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/dunya/ucmnin-netanyahu-ve-gallanti-tutuklama-emrini-avrupa-ulkelerinin-buyuk-cogunlugu-uygulayacak/3403377
6. Bresheeth-Žabner, H. (2024). Zionist Settler-Colonialist Identity From Ethnic Cleansing to Genocid, Middle East Journal of Culture and Communication, 17: 239-245.
7. Callamarı, P. & Reveron, D. (2003). Chine’s Use of Perception Management, International Journal of Intelligence and Counter Intelligence, 16: 1-15.
8. Central Intelligence Agency (1979). Office of Research and Development, Misperception Literature Survey, Princeton,NJ: Mathtech.

9. Chan. A. (2007). Guiding Public Opinion through Social Agenda Setting: China’s Media Policies, Journalof Contemporary China, 16 (53): 548.
10. Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms (2009). 12 April 2001As Amended Through 19 August 2009). Availble at: https://dml.armywarcollege.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/JP-1-02-DoD-Dictionary-of-Mil-Terms-2009-update.pdf
11. Dinesh S. & Silver, L. (2023). How Americans view Israel, Netanyahu and U.S.-Israel relations in 5 charts, Pew Research Center, Availble at: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/08/21/how-americans-view-israel-netanyahu-and-u-s-israel-relations-in-5-charts/
12. Doğan, D. (2024). Netanyahu'ya yönelik yakalama kararı hakkında bilmeniz gereken her şey, Availble at: https://www.ntv.com.tr/galeri/dunya/netanyahuya-yonelik-yakalama-karari-hakkinda-bilmeniz-gereken-her-sey,7IG6x2xs_0a_KLVdKfpSSQ/8MxEX6LsOUK3dqTtYDhWEA
13. Entman, Robert. M. (1993). Framing: Toward clarification of a fractured paradigm. Journal of Communication, 43(4): 51-58.
14. Gamson, Wiliam. A., and Modigliani, A. (1989). Media discourse and public opinion on nuclear power: A constructionist approach. American Journal of Sociology, 95(1), 1-37.
15. Iyengar, S. (1991). Is anyone responsible? How television frames political issues. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
16. Jones, J. (2024). Americans Show Heightened Concern About Antisemitism, Availble at: https://news.gallup.com/poll/646469/americans-show-heightened-concern-antisemitism.aspx
17. Goldstein, E. Bruce (2013). Sensation and perception (9th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
18. Gregory, Richard L. (1980). Perceptions as hypotheses. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. B, Biological Sciences, 290(1038): 181-197.
19. KingAbdullah (2024). Speech by His Majesty King Abdullah II at the 79th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, Availble at: https://kingabdullah.jo/en/speeches/speech-his-majesty-king-abdullah-ii-79th-session-general-assembly-united-nations
20. Karaca, K. (2024). Netanyahu ABD’nin kontrolünden çıktı, Availble at: https://www.dunya.com/kose-yazisi/netanyahu-abdnin-kontrolunden-cikti/740365
21. McCombs, Maxwell. E., and Shaw, Donald. L. (1972). The agenda-setting function of mass media. Public Opinion Quarterly, 36(2): 176-187.
22. McCombs, Maxwell E. (2005). A look at agenda-setting: Past, present and future. Journalism Studies, 6: 543-557.
23. McCombs Maxwell E. (2014). Setting the agenda: The mass media and public opinion, Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.
24. O’Neill, R. (1989). Toward a Methodology for Perception Management, Defense Technical Information Center, Newport,RI, The United States Naval War College Archives.
25. Roy Godson & Wirtz, James J. (2000). Strategic Denial and Deception, International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence, 13( 4): 424-437.
26. Statecraft (2024). 59% of US Voters Support Gaza Ceasefire in Israel-Hamas War: Morning Consult, Statecraft, Availble at: https://www.statecraft.co.in/article/59-of-us-voters-support-gaza-ceasefire-in-israel-hamas-war-morning-consult
27. Silver, L. & Smerkovıch, M. (2024). Amid war in Gaza, 58% of Israelis say their country is not respected internationally, Pew Research Center. Availble at: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/06/11/amid-war-in-gaza-58-of-israelis-say-their-country-is-not-respected-internationally/
28. Staff, T. (2024). Israel drops 10 spots in ranking of best countries based on global perception, Availble at: https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-drops-10-spots-in-ranking-of-best-countries-based-on-global-perception/amp/
29. Taşkın, E. (2024). Fransız hükümeti, maçta açılan "Özgür Filistin" pankartı nedeniyle PSG'den açıklama istedi, Availble at: https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/dunyadan-spor/fransiz-hukumeti-macta-acilan-ozgur-filistin-pankarti-nedeniyle-psgden-aciklama-istedi/3387582
30. Zaller, John R. (1992). The nature and origins of mass opinion. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.