The Psychological Origin of the 1300-Year-Old Arab-Israeli War: How History Must Guide Policy Making

This psycho-historical analysis advances the hypothesis that the long-standing hostilities between Israel and her Arab neighbors is fundamentally a religious conflict with a significant psychological component. The origins of the war and standoff between the parties are traced back to the time of the founding of Islam and the encounter between Muhammad and the Jews of what is now Saudi Arabia. When the Jews rejected Muhammad as the Apostle of God, he experienced a severe psychological wound leading to a series of actions that would now be referred to as acts of narcissistic rage. This rage was transcribed into the Qur’an and has become an integral part of Islamic-Jewish relations since that time. Key historical and psychological contexts are provided and serve as the basis for recommended next steps to be taken to promote the peace process, including roles for political and consulting psychologists.