Dr. Ofer Grosbard, a clinical psychologist, former advisor to the Intelligence Directorate, member of "Mivatchei – Israel," and the author of the book The End of the State of Israel?! spoke with Maariv about the potential psychological war strategies Israel could enact to end terrorism in Gaza and the West Bank.
Grosbard combined psychological and cultural insights, offering an alternative strategy for fighting Hamas and freeing the hostages – through the psychology of Palestinian society and the use of precise psychological warfare.
“You don’t need to mobilize divisions, and you don’t need to lose human lives – you need to understand the enemy,” he told Maariv.
"To this end, psychological warfare must be used,” he explained. “However, in our security system, psychological warfare does not exist because a necessary condition for its existence is understanding the enemy's ways of thinking.
“The terrorist organizations have actually used psychological warfare against us throughout the years, which reached its peak in the issue of the hostages. They have what is called an 'external focus of control,' and therefore, they focus on us, learn, and get to know us. Whereas we, who have an 'internal focus of control,' focus on ourselves and do not know them."
Grosbard explained: “The psychology of the residents of Gaza and the West Bank is that of a very traditional population… Therefore, some of its prominent characteristics are rumors, gossip, conspiracies, and, above all, fear. This is a culture in which independent thinking is less developed, group pressure is great, and people are driven mainly by fear. One can, of course, get the impression that the residents of Gaza will align themselves with Hamas as a result of fear.
“These non-democratic societies have an external focus of control – that is, the emphasis is not on what I think and want, but on what the environment requires and forces me to do,” he highlighted.
“For example, a member of Western culture will automatically stop at a red light. If he does not do so, he may feel guilty. In contrast, in these (Palestinian) societies with an external focus of control, the individual may not stop at a red light if there is no policeman by his side. Order, therefore, is caused by fear – and not by internalizing values as in the West. Similarly, the individual will not steal in these societies because he may be caught – and not because it is ingrained in him that this is not the way to do things.”
The solution to terrorism in Gaza and the West Bank
Based on the psychological evaluation, Grosbard recommended two courses of action: first, preventing incitement and second, creating group pressure against terrorism.
“The defense establishment got confused,” he argued. “This is not a democratic society where individuals should think independently, and therefore it is permissible and even desirable to encourage free thinking. We project our modern thinking onto the enemy and allow incitement in schools, textbooks, mosques, and social media – with the unconscious assumption that individuals in these societies have the ability to resist incitement and form their own opinions independently. But in these societies, awareness of the instigator’s nature is considered no less responsible than the instigator. In contrast to a modern society where every mother will say to her son: ‘So what if he said… that doesn’t mean you have to listen to him.’"
“Incitement is the driving force behind terrorism,” Grosbard stressed. “If we dry up incitement – there will be no terrorism. Today, using AI, it is not difficult to detect incitement content in various places and forms. To deny individuals and leaders the ability to incite as a result of punishment and fear – is tantamount to denying their power.”
On the second point – creating group pressure against terrorism, Grosbard explained, “In Proverbs it is written, ‘Blessed is the man who fears always’ – such is the nature of a member of the traditional, collective society, from which we all grew up. If he is not afraid, he is liable to do very serious things.
“Creating a psychological situation in Gaza and the West Bank in which people will be afraid to engage in terrorism because someone will immediately report them and turn them in – this is the desired situation. The nature of their society, which is ruled by fear, must be understood, and these insights must be used. The goal is to create a situation in which Hamas members will fear the population that wants to be free from them – and not the other way around.”
Grosbard suggested that he had the answer on how to spread this fear.
“We are establishing a reward system where anyone who reports a Hamas member or any hostile activity is rewarded,” he explained. “Reports can be made discreetly via mobile phones. Anyone found guilty will be severely punished, as will anyone who knew and did not report. The carrots and sticks are simple: medical treatment and work in Israel – or their prevention.
“Benefits for family members who report to the authorities – and punishments for family members of terrorists. Benefits and punishments for family members are very effective in these collective societies. A Hamas member who turns himself in, arms himself, and signs a pledge to stop engaging in terrorism, will not be eliminated.
“And every time a Hamas member is caught engaging in terrorism, his humiliated picture will be published, and his family will be severely punished. Humiliation is also a winning weapon in these societies, where the loss of honor is equated with death.
“The Palestinian population must move from a situation where they are afraid of Hamas to a situation where every Hamas member is afraid that they will be handed over,” he said, speaking on the future of Palestinian territories. “This can be done – and for this, you don’t need divisions of soldiers, just appropriate psychological warfare – which does not exist at all in the security system today.”
“Israel has declared that a Hamas member who releases a hostage will receive huge benefits. However, without creating group pressure and denunciation that forces the Hamas member to behave in this manner, there is no chance of this. We apply military pressure, but he is willing to fight us and die with the hostages in order to maintain his honor in the eyes of his group members. Therefore, harming their honor and humiliating them at the hands of their group members is the only way to change their behavior, not military pressure.
“Indeed, the release of the hostages must also go through psychological warfare and understanding the ways of thinking of our enemy.”
