Terrorism threat perception in Israel reflects subjective probabilities rather than casualty counts

Evidence

Even Israel, surely the most directly endangered of all states affected by terrorism, is said to overreact (Alon, 1980). Although terrorism is perceived as a major threat by Israeli society, this assessment is based on subjective probabilities rather than a realistic estimate of the number of casualties caused by terrorism. Individuals feel both fearful and angry at the damage done to national prestige. Such perceptions are affected not only by the nature of terrorism but also by media portrayals and government countermeasures, which serve as a constant reminder of the threat. — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 4164

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the moral-panic literature (risk amplification through media and official reaction) and to Milgram’s point that institutional reminders sustain perceived threat.
• CANDY: A one-line conversation nugget: the most terrorism-endangered state in the world assesses the threat subjectively, not by body count.