Behavior Analysis of Benjamin Netanyahu in 1999 and 2017: What has Changed? - Abstract
The current study presents a behavioral analysis of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and compares his behavior patterns at present with a previous study conducted in 1999.The analysis is based on the identification of recurring patterns of behavior (across time and situations) which emerge from the diverse material available to us: Netanyahu’s statements, interviews, testimonies and interviews with various people who have worked with him. The salient results indicated the following: Netanyahu continues to see himself as superior to others and as a gifted politician; he loves the good life that status and power afford him such as luxurious hotels, high-class restaurants and fine food; Netanyahu uses manipulation to advance his goals and above all, to ensure his political survival; Netanyahu’s suspiciousness and sense of victimhood, according to which everyone is against him, continues; a salient point is his
marked difficulty in making important decisions regarding the fundamental questions of the future of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; his ambition has been manifested by the will to stay at the top at any cost; he continues to perform as an articulate speaker with an outstanding ability to deliver messages. Netanyahu’s long-lasting term as prime minister has resulted in “fatigue”, expressed in part as an increase in suspicion, difficulty in standing up to the pressure, and problematic decision-making, with all that entails. Overall, the present study indicates that the patterns of behavior identified in the first study have been highly stable and that some of these patterns have been radicalized.