Mr. Amit Cohen, Dr. Keren LG Snider, Prof. Daphna Canetti
What drives public support for counter-terrorism strategies? Does trust in government or heightened fear push people toward military action or diplomacy? While major terrorist attacks often trigger calls for aggressive measures like airstrikes or demolishing homes, research shows these approaches can sometimes backfire, leading to a shift toward diplomatic solutions over time.
This study leverages a natural experiment created by the October 7 terrorist attacks in Israel to explore how exposure to violence shapes public opinion. By analyzing real-time data from Jewish Israelis, our approach captures the “as-if” conditions of a controlled experiment in a real-world crisis. This unique method provides a rare and authentic glimpse into the mechanisms driving public attitudes.
