After 33 years of silence, Dr. Ruth Barr, a strategic advisor and psychologist who worked within the small circle of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the beginning of his political rise, came out to narrate the details of her experience with him and provide a reading of his personality and his style of political and media work.

Bar, who had an extramarital affair with Netanyahu that was revealed in 1993 in what was known as the “hot tape case,” spoke for the first time in an interview with Israeli journalist Ben Caspit published by the Walla website, coinciding with the release of her book “Brain Under the Influence.”

According to her account, her professional relationship with Netanyahu began in the late 1980s, and she worked with him for more than 3 years, focusing on his political image and his competitors within the Likud Party, and how to develop his presence before the public.

Barr believes that Netanyahu possessed, from his beginnings, a “deep sense of superiority,” along with an early awareness of the importance of the media in creating the political image and influencing the public. She says he worked with his advisors on improving his appearance, body language, crafting his messages, and conducting television interviews.

Bar goes back to 1993, when Netanyahu was running in the Likud leadership race after Yitzhak Shamir lost to Yitzhak Rabin. During that stage, his wife Sarah received a call stating that there was a relationship between her husband and Bar, with a threat to publish a tape proving the matter unless he withdrew from the race.

On January 14, 1993, Netanyahu decided to anticipate the crisis, and appeared on Channel One admitting to having an extramarital relationship, and accusing opponents within Likud of trying to blackmail him. However, the tape that was the focus of the threat did not appear later.

Barr believes that this incident constituted an early example of Netanyahu’s way of managing crises, by anticipating the event and controlling the media narrative instead of waiting for others to impose it.

She points out that the studies conducted at that time focused on building the image of the “leader” by enhancing charisma, displaying knowledge, and using clear and assertive language, in addition to employing emotional content and highlighting power and control.

Barr also links those beginnings to what she calls today the “poison machine,” considering that attacking political and media opponents has evolved over time into an approach based on identifying an opponent and focusing negative messages against him with the aim of weakening his image with the public.

According to her reading, Netanyahu’s strength historically lies in presenting himself as a strong leader capable of providing protection, while his main weakness lies in the area of ​​trust, empathy, and relationships with others.

Barr believes that Netanyahu’s image suffered a major blow after the events of October 7, 2023, but he was able, according to her analysis, to survive politically by preserving his base, controlling the agenda, and transferring responsibility to other parties.