Aviram Belaish, vice president of the Jerusalem Center for Foreign Affairs (JCFA), argues that Israel measures success in the war of consciousness by views and campaigns rather than behavioral change. He cites Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz — which combined military capability, credible threats, and economic uncertainty — as a model that forced shipping companies to register and pay for safe passage. Belaish warns that Hamas and its supporters have reframed the October 7 narrative through years of narrative-building, while Israel invests in messages without defining target behavior.
In a detailed analysis published through the Jerusalem Center for Foreign Affairs, Aviram Belaish — a former senior official and current vice president of JCFA — argues that Israel's approach to the 'war of consciousness' (a term covering narrative, perception, and influence operations) is fundamentally misdirected. He contends that measuring success by views, impressions, and campaign metrics misses the point; the real measure is behavioral change. Belaish points to Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz as a counterexample: Tehran did not merely issue threats but combined statements with military capability, credible threat, and economic uncertainty, forcing shipping companies to alter their behavior — registering and paying for safe passage. He warns that Israel's adversaries, particularly Hamas and its supporters, have succeeded in reframing the October 7 massacre through years of deliberate narrative-building, while Israel continues to invest in messages without defining what behavior it seeks to change or how to measure real success. 'This is the difference between talking about consciousness and influencing it,' he writes. The analysis comes as the Strait of Hormuz remains a central flashpoint in the Iran-Israel-US conflict, with the IRGC having formally closed the strait and Tehran linking its reopening to IDF withdrawal from Lebanon.
2 developments
- DevelopingAnalysis: Iran attacks global shipping lanes in Strait of Hormuz while world focuses on Israel
- ConfirmedIran threatens missile retaliation amid Hormuz closure as U.S. talks continue
- StrongAnalyst: Iran deploys 'new equation' combining Hezbollah attrition with economic pressure on global energy
- DevelopingTehran orders media to portray Hormuz closure as coordinated strategy, not internal rift
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