BROADCASTS.com

b'Jonathan Leslie considers the history of Iran\'s "becoming" and existential threat in Israel Years after the Islamic Republic of Iran resumed its nuclear development program, Israeli leaders began constructing a narrative aimed at instilling in their polity the fear of Iran as an existential threat to the Jewish State. Building upon Israel\\u2019s geopolitical insecurity, politicians, assisted by societal elites, repeatedly claimed that the imminent acquisition of a bomb by Iran\\u2019s religious fundamentalist regime undermined Israel\\u2019s security and threatened the stability of the world order. This project examines how Israeli leaders crafted a narrative in which Iran\\u2019s rulers sought the destruction of Israel; how the Israeli public internalized this perception of Iran as an enemy; and how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu incorporated this message into his foreign policy agenda and used it in efforts to secure the support of international allies. Through the lens of securitization theory, this project analyzes primary source documents to show the divergence between the narrative\\u2019s content and historical facts. In doing so, it highlights how perception eclipses reality when a powerful securitizing actor claiming exclusive access to material information identifies a threat source and publicly promotes its danger. It then examines how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strategically embraced populist strategies to advocate for extraordinary action against Iran and to bolster his status as a leader and national protector. Taking advantage of Israel\\u2019s failure in the Second Lebanon War and Iran\\u2019s election of a radical and bombastic president, Netanyahu chose resonant tropes \\u2013 misusing history, recasting Holocaust memory, and fashioning an overarching moral imperative \\u2013 to create a permanent crisis and secure Israelis\\u2019 acquiescence. By 2015, however, he had failed to convince international powers that a negotiated deal suspending Iran\\u2019s nuclear enrichment program would make Israel and the world less safe. This project contributes to our understanding of current and future developments in the Israel-Iran enmity, both predictable and unanticipated.'