“And blame is what you need my foe” — The Role of Emotions and Political Ideology in Discursive Escalation within Israeli-Jewish Political Discussions
Wednesday, March 19, 2025 @ 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm
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This research explores how blame drives discursive escalation in political discussions among left- and right-leaning Jewish-Israeli participants. Analyzing 100,000 words from 2014–2022, it identifies distinct emotional and ideological triggers fueling polarization: fear and anger dominate right-wing responses to preserve social order, while guilt and shame shape left-wing reactions around moral concerns for out-group suffering. These mechanisms foster mutual denial of identity needs and deepen divides, highlighting the interplay between collective emotions, moral distancing, and political polarization in language.
Yael Ben-David, Israel Institute Visiting Assistant Professor, Taub Center for Israel Studies, New York University
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