The Cognitive Dissonance at the Heart of Israeli Society

People stand still in Tel Aviv, as a two-minute siren is sounded across Israel to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day on May 2, 2019.

Every country is built upon a foundation myth. These stories or shared histories serve to bind and build societies. Israel’s foundation myth is unique among contemporary states. It propels a form of cognitive dissonance enabling the society to perpetuate one of the most prolonged military occupations in modern history while professing a victim status. The recent celebration of Holocaust…