Behind Israel's siege mentality

"Israelis have the feeling that the world thinks Palestinians have an inalienable right to commit acts of terror against us and by building a fence we deny them that right," says Dr. Bar.

The UN presented two resolutions to condemn the barrier this month. The US vetoed one. Both angered Israelis. "Opposition to the fence increases a bunker mentality and encourages much harsher reaction in response - the gloves are off," says Bar. "If even protective measures aren't acceptable to the world, then what does it matter?"

Indeed, Sharon told visiting EU parliamentarians this week that barrier construction would go forward and appealed for their support "in international fora, where attempts are being made to isolate Israel."

The disconnect between international and Israeli perspectives on the conflict is a major reason for the growing Israeli alienation, says Yaron Ezrahi, a political scientist at Jerusalem's Hebrew University.

Most Israeli's don't see the settlements or the occupation as major causes of terrorist attacks while much of the world does, says Prof. Ezrahi. He argues that the government reinforces this perception gap by blaming all terrorism on what it says is Islamic hatred of Jews and the West. "You never hear that roadblocks, economic suffering, or the separation wall are factors that might cause terror," Ezrahi says. "Consequently, Israelis, when they feel the UN or the world is not sympathetic, tend to put it down to anti-Semitism and dismiss it. Definitely people of this government tend to ascribe legitimate criticism of Israel to anti-Semitism."

Over the years of this conflict, though, anti-Semitism has risen, leaving Jews in Israel and abroad anxious and uncomfortable. Just this month, Malaysian Prime Minister told a domestic audience that Europe is "under the thumb of the Jews."

On an individual level, Israelis cite divestment drives at US colleges and discrimination at European universities. This month, a professor at England's Oxford University resigned after refusing to accept an Israeli student in his lab. Beyond the confines of academia, hate crimes are up, as are anti-Israel and anti-Semitic rhetoric.

"Is there any other country in the world where the countries surrounding it air prime time TV series talking about how that first country wants to take over the world and destroy it?" asks Ms. Baumel of Bar Ilan University. She refers to a Syrian-made series now being broadcast across the Middle East on a Hizbullah satellite channel.

Some analysts say the situation has improved lately, perhaps because the terrorist Sept. 11 attacks on the US engendered greater sympathy for Israel.

"There is less demonization of Israel than at the beginning of the intifada when all the photos were of Israeli soldiers shooting at Palestinian children," says Gerald Steinberg, a political scientist at Bar Ilan University. "We've clawed back some of that ground."

Page: 1 | 2