JERUSALEM: Dr Ruth Bar, a psychologist and former strategic adviser to Benjamin Netanyahu, has given her first interview 33 years after becoming publicly linked to the Israeli leader during his 1993 Likud leadership campaign.
Bar worked with Netanyahu for more than three years as a pollster and strategist while he built his political profile after returning from the United Nations. She said she analysed his television appearances, public performances, rivals and campaign messaging as part of a small advisory team.
Her name became widely known in January 1993 after Netanyahu appeared on Israeli television and admitted having an extramarital affair while alleging that political rivals were attempting to blackmail him. Bar declined to discuss the affair itself during the new interview.
Bar Says Netanyahu Understood Media Power Early
Bar said Netanyahu recognised earlier than many rivals that dominating television coverage could shape public perception.
She described him as highly focused on image, forcefulness and controlling the political agenda. Moreover, she said her research for his campaigns examined charisma, voter psychology and how emotional messages could influence political preferences.
Bar is now publishing a 600-page book, Brain Under the Influence, outlining theories she developed through decades of research into decision-making, branding and political behaviour.
Former Adviser Raises Concerns Over Netanyahu’s Political Strategy
Bar also offered sharply critical assessments of Netanyahu’s leadership, describing what she viewed as an extreme sense of superiority and a tendency to prioritise control of public perception.
Furthermore, she argued that emotionally charged messaging can shift a segment of voters even shortly before elections.
Her comments represent her own interpretation of Netanyahu’s personality and political methods, based largely on her work with him more than three decades ago.
Bar said she decided to speak publicly now because publication of her book required her to step out of anonymity.
