From Masada to Sarikamis: trauma and defeat turns into heroic resistance and ontological security

This article traces the characteristics of the political discourse in the post-modern era, which sees the necessity of using traumas and defeat to create national-religious narratives. Through a critical discourse study of two case studies—the Battle of Masada (73 CE) and the Battle of Sarikamis (1914–1915), this article presents an analytical perspective on how right-wing populist elites in Turkey and Israel use trauma to boost ontological security within their public audience. Despite the historical, socio-political, and governmental differences between the two states, these cases, throughout the last twenty years, served as a tool to turn historical traumas into national glorified collective memory. Leaning on historical backgrounds, through analysis of speeches, this article offers a socio-psychological theoretical framework for examining how traumas could symbolize ‘heroic resistance’ against enemies. This article explores how the right-wing leadership reshape traumas through a religious narrative of redemption and a nationalist narrative of strength.