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Democratic Like Us? Political Orientation and the Effect of Making Democracy Salient on Anti-Israel Attitude

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 October 2015

Yphtach Lelkes ,
Ariel Malka  and
Penelope Sheets
Yphtach Lelkes
Affiliation:
Amsterdam School of Communication Research, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands; e-mail: [email protected]
Ariel Malka
Affiliation:
Yeshiva University, New York, New York, US
Penelope Sheets
Affiliation:
Amsterdam School of Communication Research, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Abstract

Israel is viewed unfavorably among wide segments of the public within several European democracies, despite being regarded itself as a Western democracy. Does drawing attention to Israel's democratic attributes improve views toward Israel? In two surveys with Dutch national samples, anti-Semitic affect, low anti-Arab/Muslim affect, and left-wing political orientation independently predicted anti-Israel sentiment. However, in experiments embedded within the surveys, making salient Israel's democratic attributes had opposite effects on Israel attitude across those on the right and the left – slightly decreasing anti-Israel sentiment among those with a right-wing orientation but slightly increasing anti-Israel sentiment among those with a left-wing orientation. We discuss potential explanations grounded in social psychological theory as well as implications for the strategic communication efforts of groups seeking to influence attitudes toward Israel.

Keywords

Ideologyanti-Semitismpolitical attitudesIsraelprejudice
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Experimental Political Science , Volume 3 , Issue 1 , Spring 2016 , pp. 97 - 107
Copyright
Copyright © The Experimental Research Section of the American Political Science Association 2015 

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