Antisemitism and Perception of Hamas: The Role of Significance Quest
Keywords:
Antisemitism, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Terrorism, Quest for SignificanceAbstract
The present study examines antisemitism as a response to an unmet desire for personal significance (i.e., wanting to be more respected, important, and socially valued). This was tested in a two-wave study of Americans’ perceptions of the Israel–Hamas war conducted six and fifteen months after Israel’s initial ground operation in Gaza following the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023. Results indicated that the quest for significance predicted endorsement of two conceptually distinct forms of antisemitism: beliefs concerning disproportionate Jewish power and beliefs portraying Jewish people as adversaries of Christianity. In turn, power-based antisemitism independently predicted perceptions of Hamas as motivated by justice, suggesting that the quest for significance may shape perceptions of the Israel–Hamas conflict partly through antisemitic narratives. These findings are consistent with the possibility that individuals experiencing unmet significance needs may be predisposed to interpret Hamas as resisting a disproportionately powerful adversary.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Molly Ellenberg, N. Pontus Leander, Erica Molinario, Ewa Szumowska, Gabriele Di Cicco, Dylan Wollschlager
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