Psychological Reflections on The Palestinian Mindset (article)

The late Abba Eban, Israeli diplomat, statesman, and writer, first noted that the Palestinians “never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity” to achieve peace. The Palestinians followed this pattern in September 2000 when their negotiators abruptly walked away from the peace table. The Palestinians then commenced their latest and most violent uprising, the second Intifada. This

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action was taken despite the fact that the negotiations were leading so close to statehood. At that time, the Ehud Barak Labor government had offered to relinquish approximately 90 percent of the West Bank and Gaza. Included in the package was the removal of most of the Israeli settlements.

By contrast to what has been offered at the peace table, what has the current Intifada, with its suicide-homicide bombings and other violence, accomplished for the Palestinians? It has led to harsher curfews and checkpoints; countless deaths of militants, civilians, and collaborators; the isolation of its leader, Yasser Arafat; economic devastation; and abhorrence and disrespect by much of the civilized world.

How can this self-destructive and self-defeating behavior be explained? What are some of the intrapsychic factors behind what I consider to be the political, economic, and human masochism of the Palestinians? My focus is on the unconscious utilization of the defenses of denial, repression, projection, and displacement.

It is not my purpose to minimize or question the many legitimate aims of the Palestinians, such as the end of the settlements and checkpoints; statehood; the restoration of their dignity and self-respect; and obtaining freedom from unwarranted, foreign control. I am only questioning their wisdom and judgment in resorting to unrelentless acts of violence and acts of “martyrdom” to achieve their aims.

The defense of denial is the most prevalent of the four defenses that I have mentioned. Of the defenses, denial is the most difficult to penetrate. Denial prevents the clear awareness of reality. Many of the Palestinians can not come to the realization that the Israelis have a credible biblical claim to, and a history of actual possession of, many of the lands in present dispute; that the Israelis have won the major wars; that Israel was created out of the ashes of Holocaust concentration camps with sanctions from the United Nations; and that the Israelis have enormous military advantage over them, with even nuclear capabilities. Buddhists say that suffering inevitably comes to those that do not see reality.

I believe that the Israelis came to see reality more clearly after the first Intifada. They realized that they had to remove most of the settlements. They needed to set the stage for the Palestinians to carve out their own state. This resulted in the Oslo Accords in 1993. The Israelis gave the Palestinian Authority autonomy, authority, and arms in consideration of the Palestinians’ control of terrorism, although the Palestinians failed to fulfill their commitments. (Regrettably, the Israelis also regressed to denial and bad judgment when they built more settlements in the West Bank and Gaza after 1993.)

The defense of repression is the process whereby thoughts and emotions are lifted out of conscious awareness into the unconscious. It is envy and sexuality that is being repressed. Palestinian (and much Arab) envy of the West’s political, cultural, and economic might was well articulated in “9/11 Lesson Plan” by Thomas Friedman, the three-time Pulitzer Prize journalist. (The New York Times, September 4, 2002, Op-Ed)

Let me articulate some of the reasons for this envy that Palestinians utilize in ultimately fruitless efforts to blame others for their plight. In the Arab world, we see that violence is particularly rife among single males between the ages of 18 and 35. There is not much outlet for sexual satisfaction among single males. Any form of sex outside of marriage is taboo. This sexual frustration adds fuel to their anger, humiliation, and economic hardship.

A psychoanalyst might wonder if the objects of the September 11 attack, the tall towers, symbolized phallic symbols of economic, political, and sexual power. If he or she could analyze an unconscious fantasy of a Palestinian mind, it might be as follows: “I am filled with envy of Israeli and American materialistic culture, wealth, and political power. I have little outlet for my sexual yearnings and frustration. If I can’t have your power and sex, then I will destroy your bigness. I will no longer feel like a dwarf.”

The defense of projection involves attributing to others one’s own unconscious negative qualities. At a deep level, the Palestinians hate themselves for the paltriness of their lives, and the thwarting of their inner potential for a more meaningful, productive, and happy life. It is hard for the psyche to contain feelings of emptiness, inadequacy, and self-hatred. It is easier to blame and hate other people, institutions, or societies.

The defense of displacement is a transfer of difficult emotions from the original external person or object to another less-charged object. An example of this is when a husband, instead of expressing anger at the boss, comes home in a rage against his wife. The wife is furious at her husband for her being the victim of unwarranted anger, but fearful of directly confronting her husband, she takes out

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her anger by kicking the cat.

It is my impression that many Palestinians unconsciously, as well as occasionally consciously, are angry with their leadership, their government, and even the extremist groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad for bringing them havoc and destruction. However, their anger is suppressed by their leaders, clerics, and teachers, who whip up hatred and blame Israelis and Americans. Propaganda by the leaders serves as a distraction and a displacement from the anger of the populace against their leaders’ corruption and ineptness.

Propagandizing the masses as a diversionary technique is not a new concept. It has been practiced by dictators throughout history in order to hold on to power. Witness such manipulations in Middle East countries such as Egypt, Syria, and Saudi Arabia. We witnessed it in its extreme form in World War II when the Nazis scapegoated and exterminated Jews. In more democratic and free societies, the emotions of frustration and anger can be more easily expressed in a constructive ways. Ultimately, Palestinians must learn more positive ways to express their needs.

Freud wrote about sublimation that can occur when sexual frustrations and excessive aggressive energies are converted into educational, cultural, and creative channels. In political life, legitimate anger can be converted into non-violent political action. Such was the case with Martin Luther King, Jr., and Mahatma Gandhi. Both were spiritually based leaders.

There can be other spiritual methods to deal with anger. For example, the 19th-century Hindu yogi sage Ramakrishna was asked by a disciple what to do with his considerable anger. Ramakrishna replied that one should be angry with himself or herself for not achieving God. Furthermore, that anger energy should be rerouted towards spiritual practices, such as study of scripture, meditation, and service to others.

Recently, some hope has risen that Palestinians will take more responsibility for their individual and collective happiness by refraining from solely blaming Israel for their plight. This was reflected in “A Senior Palestinian Urges An End To Suicide Attacks” (The New York Times, August 31, 2002, p. A2) in which it was reported that Abdel Razak Yehiyeh, who was appointed Palestinian Interior Administrator in June 2002, told all Palestinians factions:

Stop the suicide bombings; stop the murders for no reason. Return to the legitimate struggle against the occupation, without violence and following international norms and legitimacy. Suicide harms the Palestinian cause. Children were exploited for these attacks when they could have made a much more positive contribution to future Palestinian society.

It is my hope that Yehiyeh’s attitude and opinion will become more and more prevalent among the Palestinians.

In this article, my goal has been to explain and analyze the current Palestinian-Israeli situation from a psychological standpoint. It seems clear that the lack of a democratic government has been a major reason for the necessity for the denial, repression, projection, and displacement of the Palestinian leadership. Though I do not know if, how, and when more democracy can be brought to the area, I am confident that any strides towards democracy will afford the possibility that the sexual, aggressive, and intellectual energies of the Palestinian people can be directed towards more productive and realistic ends. Movement toward democracy will bring more hope for political and economic freedom and lessen the reasons for self-defeating and self-destructive behavior.

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