Hostile discourse is an inevitable dimension in exploring the Israel-Iran antagonistic relationship. Thus, this study proposes the concept of "hostile discourse mirror" based on critical discourse theory. The hostile discourse mirror is a discourse field full of controversy. Both actors participate in and penetrate each other in the mirror around some basic discourses, trying to maintain themselves or destroy the identity and position of the other speaker. In response, the latter counterattack with the help of similar symbols, forming a counter-discourse that deconstructs and delegitimizes the identity and representation of the other. The result is that, although the conflicting actors see themselves as fundamentally different from each other, their behavior exhibits a certain consistency and symmetry. For example, the symbolic signs initially used to construct legitimacy for an actor become a source of justification for the other side, and the actors to the conflict become, to some extent, mirror images of each other. When examining the long-standing debate in the Israel-Iran relationship, it can be observed that there are some fundamental discourses repeatedly mentioned. Taking the "Holocaust discourse" and the "Iranian nuclear discourse," which are of utmost concern to Israel and Iran, respectively, as examples, it illustrates how these two countries become trapped in the confines of a hostile discourse mirroring, leading to escalating conflictual behaviors.

Authors:
Xiunv Xiao, Shanghai International Studies, China

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Posted by Clive Staples Lewis

Last updated: 2023-02-23 23:45:00

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