The Protectors of Civilization: The Erdoğan-Netanyahu Confrontation Around the War on Gaza

This paper examines how the terrorist attack of October 7th and the ensuing war on Gaza have emerged as new iconic traumas for both Jewish and Muslim communities. Our central argument is that these traumas are being instrumentalized by right-wing religious populist leaders, Netanyahu in Israel and Erdoğan in Turkey. By exploiting these emotionally charged events, such leaders can cultivate resentment toward perceived external threats while positioning themselves as the protectors of their respective universal religions. Our analysis will delve into the populist rhetoric and discourses of both leaders, with a specific focus on the use of religious ethos, bible quotes, and the language of collective wounds and suffering. We will explore the similarities between the rhetoric of these competing victimhood discourses of each populist leader. While Netanyahu is attempting to frame the war on Gaza as the war of the Jewish-Christian Western civilization, Erdoğan is using the exact same rhetoric to bolster his role as the defender of the great 'Ummah' of Islam. We argue that the war on Gaza serves as a prime example of the adaptability of religious populist leadership in constructing competing victimhood discourses and framing themselves as Saviors and defenders of their 'holy nation.' In this context, religious populism exacerbates polarization. It solidifies these leaders' political authority by appealing to shared religious and cultural identities. Ultimately, the confrontation between the two leaders assists them in enhancing their status, thus fortifying and reinforcing their role as the protectors of their faith and nations.