Operational Code Analysis of Netanyahu in Foreign Policy

پژوهش نامه ایرانی سیاست بین الملل

Article 15, Volume 12, Issue 1 - Serial Number 23, November 2023, Pages 381-413   

Document Type: Original Article

DOI: 10.22067/irlip.2023.73211.1176

Authors

Javad Arabameri¹; Mohsen Eslami^{* 2}; Seyed Masoud Mousavi Shafaee²; Mohammad Hossein Jamshidi²

¹Department of international relations, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University. Tehran. Iran.

²Department of international relations. Faculty of Humanities. Tarbiat Modares University. Tehran. Iran.

Abstract

Benyamin Netanyahu with more than fifteen years of experience as prime minister has been a major role in shaping the Israeli foreign policy. Knowledge about his central beliefs and cognitive approaches can play an important role in understanding Israeli foreign policy. The question is, what cognitive approach does Netanyahu have in foreign policy? Have these cognitive approaches been constant or changed over time? The aim is to explore Netanyahu's central beliefs as one of the main factors influencing Israeli foreign policy. In this regard, Netanyahu's verbal materials in foreign policy were examined between 2009 and 2019, using the conceptual framework of operational code analysis and the “verbs in context system” method in comparing to a norming group average of world leaders. The results of the quantitative analysis of Netanyahu’s speeches by Profiler Plus software show that there is a significant difference between Netanyahu's philosophical and instrumental beliefs in the second & third terms (2009-2015) on the one hand, and his beliefs in the fourth term (2015-2019), on the other hand. In the first round, Netanyahu saw the nature of the political universe in harmony with Israel's interests. Moreover, he realized political values in adopting a cooperative strategy, and the usefulness of utilizing cooperative tools with regards to other actors. In the second round, he considered the nature of the political universe in conflict with Israel's interests, realizing values in pursuing a limited cooperative strategy, and the usefulness of employing cooperative and conflictual tools versus other political actors.

Keywords

Netanyahu; Beliefs; Operational Code Analysis; VICS; Israel Foreign Policy

References

Brownstein, L. (1977). Decision Making in Israeli Foreign Policy: An Unplanned Process.
Political Science Quarterly, 92(2), 259–279.
Dille, B. (2000). The Prepared and Spontaneous Remarks of Presidents Reagan and Bush:
A Validity Comparison for at-a-Distance Measurements. Political Psychology, 21(3), 573–
585.
George, A. L. (1969). The Operational Code: A Neglected Approach to the Study of
Political Leaders and Decision Making. International Studies Quarterly, 13(2), 190–222.
Holsti, O. (1970). The Operational Code Approach to the Study of Political Leaders: John
Foster Dulles’ Philosophical and Instrumental Beliefs. Canadian Journal of Political
Science, 3(1), 123–157.
Hudson, V. M. & Vore, C. S. (1995). Foreign Policy Analysis: Yesterday, Today, and
Tomorrow. Mershon International Studies Review, 39(2), 209–238.
Khosravi, A. &Afrasiabi, S. (2018). Events and Evaluation of Leaders’ Belief Change: The
Case of Barack Obama and 11th Presidential Election in Iran.Politics Quarterly, 48(3),
651-670. [in Persian].
Masoudi, H. (2020). Joe Biden’s Operational Codes in Foreign Policy. Political and
international approaches, 12(2), 95-122. [in Persian].
McLellan, D. S. (1971).The Operational Code Approach to the Study of Political Leaders:
Dean Acheson’s Philosophical and Instrumental Beliefs. Canadian Journal of Political
Science, 4(1), 52–75.
Netanyahu, B. (2010, February 17). Netanyahu Addresses Conference of Presidents of
Major American Jewish Organizations.Israel MFA. Available
at:https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/PressRoom/2010/Pages/PM_Netanyahu_addresses_Conference_
Presidents_17-Feb-2010.aspx
Netanyahu, B. (2012, March 5). PM Netanyahu Addresses AIPAC Policy Conference.Israel
MFA. Available at: https://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/pressroom/2012/pages/
pm_netanyahu_aipac_policy_conference_5-mar-2012.aspx.
Netanyahu, B. (2012, September 27). PM Netanyahu Addresses UN General
Assembly.Israel MFA. Available at:https://mfa.gov.il/mfa/pressroom/2012/pages/pm-
netanyahu-addresses-un-27-sep-2012.aspx.
Netanyahu, B. (2013, October 1).PM Netanyahu Addresses UN General Assembly.Israel
MFA.Available at: https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/PressRoom/2013/Pages/PM-Netanyahu-
addresses-UN-General-Assembly-1-Oct-2013.aspx.
Netanyahu, B. (2013, November 10). PM Netanyahu Addresses Jewish Federations of
North America.Israel MFA. Available at: https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/PressRoom/
2013/Pages/PM-Netanyahu-addresses-Jewish-Federations-of-North-America-10-Nov-
2013.aspx.
Netanyahu, B. (2013, December 8).PM Netanyahu’s address to the SABAN FORUM.Israel
MFA.Available at: https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/PressRoom/2013/Pages/PM-Netanyahu-
address-to-the-Saban-Forum-8-ec-2013.aspx

Netanyahu, B. (2014, February 17). PM Netanyahu addresses conference of presidents of
major American Jewish organizations. Israel MFA. Available at:https://mfa.gov.il/
MFA/PressRoom/2014/Pages/PM-Netanyahu-addresses-Conference-of-Presidents-of-
Major-American-Jewish-Organizations-17-Feb-2014.aspx.
Netanyahu, B. (2014, March 4). PM Netanyahu Addresses AIPAC Policy Conference.Israel
MFA. Available at: https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/PressRoom/2014/Pages/PM-Netanyahu-
addresses-AIPAC-4-Mar-2014.aspx.
Netanyahu, B. (2015, March 3).PM Netanyahu’s Speech to a Joint Session of the US
Congress.Israel MFA.Available at: https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/PressRoom/2015/
Pages/PM-Netanyahus-speech-to-Congress-3-March-2015.aspx.
Netanyahu, B. (2015, May 9). PM Netanyahu Addresses the Herzliya Conference, Israel
MFA. Available at: https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/PressRoom/2015/Pages/PM-Netanyahu-
addresses-the-Herzliya-Conference-9-Jun-2015.aspx.
Netanyahu, B. (2015, August 4). PM Netanyahu Addresses Jewish Federations on Iran.
Israel MFA.Available at: https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/PressRoom/2015/Pages/PM-Netanyahu-
addresses-Jewish-Federations-on-Iran-4-Aug-2015.aspx.
Netanyahu, B. (2015, October 1). PM Netanyahu Addresses the UN General
Assembly.Israel MFA.Available at: https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/PressRoom/2015/Pages/PM-
Netanyahu-addresses-the-UN-General-Assembly-1-Oct-2015.aspx
Netanyahu, B.(2018, September 27). PM Netanyahu addresses UN general assembly.Israel
MFA.Available at: https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/PressRoom/2018/Pages/PM-Netanyahu-
addresses-UN-General-Assembly-27-September-2018.aspx
Özdamar, Z.(2017). Leadership Analysis at a Great Distance: Using the Operational Code
Construct to Analyze Islamist Leaders. Global Society, 31(2), 167–198.
Post., J. M. (2003). The Psychological Assessment of Political Leaders: With Profiles of
Saddam Hussein and Bill Clinton. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
Renshon, J. (2008). Stability and change in belief systems. Journal of Conflict Resolution,
52(6), 820–849.
Renshon, J.(2009). When Public Statements Reveal Private Beliefs: Assessing Operational
Codes at a Distance. Political Psychology, 30(4), 649–661.
Schafer, M. (2000). Issues in Assessing Psychological Characteristics at a Distance: An
Introduction to the Symposium. Political Psychology, 21(3), 511–527.
Schafer, M.& Walker, S. G. (2006a). Democratic Leaders and the Democratic Peace: The
Operational Codes of Tony Blair and Bill Clinton. International Studies Quarterly, 50(3),
561–583.
Schafer, M., & Walker, S.(2006b).Beliefs and Leadership in World Politics: Methods and
Applications of Operational Code Analysis.(1sted.). Palgrave Macmillan.
Suedfeld, P., Guttieri, K., & Tetlock, P.(2003).Assessing Integrative Complexity at a
Distance: Archival Analyses of Thinking and Decision Making. In J. M. Post.(Ed.).The
Psychological Assessment of Political Leaders(pp. 246–270).Ann Arbor: University of
Michigan Press.
Walker, S. G.(1977).The Interface between Beliefs and Behavior.Journal of Conflict
Resolution, 21(1), 129–168.
Walker, S. G. (1983). The Motivational Foundations of Political Belief Systems: A Re-
Analysis of the Operational Code Construct. International Studies Quarterly, 27(2), 179–202.
Walker, S. G., Schafer, M., & Young, M. D. (1998). Systematic Procedures for Operational
Code Analysis: Measuring and Modeling Jimmy Carter’s Operational Code. International
Studies Quarterly, 42(1), 175–189.
Walker, S. G.; Schafer, M., & Young, M. D.(2003).Profiling the Operational Codes of
Political Leaders.In J. M. Post. (Ed.). The Psychological Assessment of Political Leaders:
With Profiles of Saddam Hussein and Bill Clinton (pp. 215–245). Ann Arbor: University of
Michigan Press.
Willigen, N.,& Bakker, F. E.(2021).Trauma and Belief Systems; AnOperational Code
Analysis of Dutch Prime Minister Rutte and the Downing of Flight MH17. Risk, Hazards &
Crisis in Public Policy, 12(2), 215–233.
Young, M. D., & Schafer, M. (1998). Is There Method in our Madness? Ways of Assessing
Cognition in International Relations. Mershon International Studies Review, 42(1), 63–96