Collective Trauma and National Behavior in Times of Threat—The Israeli Public and the 2014 War in Gaza

Abstract

This paper analyzes the impact of past trauma on national behavior in times of threat, applying Volkan's (2001, 2004) theory of multigenerational impact of trauma on large groups, and La Capra's (2014) theory of the use of the concept of individuals' trauma for understanding the behavior of traumatized collectives. The study of the Israeli response to the abduction and murder of three teenagers in summer 2014 is consistent with these theories, and shows how a collective with trauma in its past behaves similarly to a posttraumatic person. The paper contends that due to its traumatic past, the Jewish Israeli public perceived a tragic but limited (from a national security standpoint) hostile action as a grave collective threat, which invoked past demons and brought back existential fears. These feelings were inflamed by the Israeli media and leaders, paving the way for an escalation of the event into an armed battle.

The Representation of the Holocaust in Israeli Society and Its Implications on Conceptions of Democracy and Human Rights of “Others”

“…Indeed, in general, the Jewish Israeli public perceives any hostile action as a grave collective threat. These feelings are often exploited by politicians, who thus pave the way for the situation to deteriorate into an armed battle and a further worsening of the conflict, leading to increasing violence and offering no way out (Keynan 2016). One salient example of this phenomenon is the speech of Prime Minister Netanyahu following the abduction and murder of three Jewish teenagers in the summer of 2014 as a preface to his decision to send the army into Gaza.…”

“…In this case, the Jewish collective memory of helplessness against brutal attackers was reactivated. In the above-mentioned example, Netanyahu reinforced deep-seated Jewish fears, thus ensuring he would receive public support for a forceful military response (Keynan 2016). This was not the first time that such a reactivation of traumatic memories had been exploited for political ends.…”

Citizenhood: Rethinking Multicultural Citizenship

“…Nationalist sentiment is further fueled by the impact of collective memory, especially in large groups with collective trauma in their past (Volkan 2001(Volkan , 2004, as is the case in some of the majority and some of the minority groups. Such groups tend to believe that their sovereign nationality is their only protection against existential threats that constantly await them (Keynan 2015a(Keynan , 2016. Moreover, Ignatieff's civil nationalism can be expected to increase the exclusion of and intensify the conflict with totalizing communities (Coser 1974cited in Walzer 2005, which rejects democratic and liberal values altogether, and whose pious observance overrides all other forms of belonging, including close family, with the same ferocity as nationalistic sentiments.…”