Since 2009
“Although the degree studies follow a structured path, contingent upon meeting the mandatory course requirements, there is also scientific research characterized by complete independence. This almost absolute intellectual freedom allows me to choose the fields of knowledge and research topics that interest me as a person specializing in the social sciences and humanities.”
Publications
- Stereotypes and Immigration Barriers in the Life Stories of French Jews in Israel, Social Issues in Israel.
- Polyphony and Silencing in the Israeli Government’s Statements during the Coronavirus Crisis, Israel Studies in Language and Society.
- Image Repair and Reputation in Times of Crisis: The Case of Benjamin Netanyahu’s Criminal Investigations on Facebook (Dissertation).
- The Best or Worst Prime Minister: Textometry Analysis of the Comments of Facebook’s Users about Netanyahu’s Affairs, Bar-Ilan University.
- “Just (Not) Bibi” or Repairing Netanyahu’s Image on Facebook: From Textometric Study to the Analysis of a Single Post, Tel Aviv University.
- The rhetorical strategies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s image repair following his criminal investigations crisis, Bar-Ilan University.
- From Millions of Words to a Single Phrase: Examination of the TXM Software in Hebrew, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada (Accepted and then canceled following COVID-19 worldwide crisis).
- Using a Combined Method of Rhetorical Strategies and Lexicometric Analysis: A Case Study of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Investigations, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
- Image repair of politicians on Facebook: The case study of Benjamin Netanyahu’s affairs in 2016-2017, University of Franche-Comté, Besançon, France.
- Early Socialization Processes for Authentic Leadership in Life Stories of the Israeli Knesset Members, Bar-Ilan University.
- Early Socialization Processes for Authentic Leadership: Life Stories of Young Generation Members of the Israeli Knesset (Thesis).
Bachelor of Arts
In 2009, while still a member of the security establishment, Maxim was accepted into the “Nitzavim” program by the Department of Educational Programs for the Israeli Armed Forces at Bar-Ilan University, thanks to his military service as an investigative officer. The undergraduate studies in this program focused on three areas of knowledge: criminology, which deals with social deviance and criminal behavior; political science, which deals with systems of government and political power; and a branch of Jewish studies as a religious, cultural, legal, and social tradition. During his studies, Maxim analyzed real cases and conceived possible case studies. For instance, he analyzed the criminological aspects that emerged in the media coverage of the murder of Tair Rada and devised a theoretical communication crisis to examine the ways the Israeli government would handle a natural disaster in the form of an earthquake, followed by tsunamis threatening the Israeli cities along the Mediterranean coast. “It was the first time I could express my intellectual independence. In analyzing the murder case, I applied the knowledge and experience I gained as an investigative officer in the Military Police’s Criminal Investigations Division, while developing the theoretical media crisis excellently corresponded with my background in journalism.”
Master of Arts
In 2011, due to his interest in the interactions between criminology and sociology, which focus on studying human society, Maxim began his master’s studies in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Bar-Ilan University. These studies aimed to understand social life and the interactions of individuals, organizations, and groups. “Criminology explains social deviance, while sociology discusses social norms. This dual focus allows us to deeply understand acceptable behavior in society and the changes in this behavior over time.” As part of his degree requirements, Maxim specialized in organizational consulting for a business-government company, completing his internship with distinction. He conducted personal meetings, interviews, and observations to analyze the company’s organizational processes. This comprehensive data collection enabled him to identify issues in information management, identity, and organizational culture. “My partner and I approached this internship with utmost seriousness from day one and throughout the three-month period. At the end of the internship, we held a summary meeting with a senior manager who was very pleased with the process.”
During his internship, which focused on business leadership, Maxim developed a keen interest in the origins of leadership and why only certain individuals become leaders. “I applied knowledge from a leadership course and a seminar on life stories to analyze the phenomenon of leadership in my research.” His thesis, “Early Socialization Processes for Authentic Leadership: Life Stories of Young Generation Members of the Israeli Knesset,” focused on first-term members of the 19th Knesset, regardless of political affiliation. “I established a rule that negative responses such as ‘hectic schedule’ or ‘recess period’ were unacceptable, enabling me to successfully schedule and conduct interviews with 15 Knesset members.” After completing data collection and analysis, Maxim identified three social processes that contributed to the development of the Knesset members’ leadership. Some continued public activities initiated by their parents or older family members. Others developed leadership skills through professional roles in social institutions and third-sector organizations. Lastly, some experienced pivotal, unplanned events, such as the loss of a loved one, that directed them toward public service. “I believe that just as I can trace my leadership skills back to my involvement in youth movements and volunteer organizations as a teenager, I can now identify the motivations that led the Knesset members to their current positions.”
Doctor of Philosophy
In 2017, after gaining extensive experience studying social deviance and norms in social relations, Maxim decided to focus on key aspects of his life path: leadership, journalism, current affairs, and politics. For his doctoral thesis, he chose the research topic “Image Repair and Reputation in Times of Crisis: The Case of Benjamin Netanyahu’s Criminal Investigations on Facebook,” drawing on his diverse academic and practical experience and linking it to communication studies and discourse analysis. “I was determined to analyze Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s official Facebook page, and I needed to focus on a specific aspect within that context. Whether one sees Netanyahu as a persecuted individual or as someone above his role, I knew this story would last for months, even years, as early as December 2016, when he was first summoned for investigation.” Initially at the School of Communication and later in the Department of French Culture at Bar-Ilan University, Maxim analyzed a data set of around eight million words published on Netanyahu’s Facebook page, using the textometric method for analyzing large text corpora. “A successful guideline for me brings added value to me, as a doctoral student, and to the research itself. That was the case with Prof. Galia Yanoshevsky, who suggested that I go to France to import the TXM software.” As a result, a unique research project was conducted, applying the textometric method for the first time to the Hebrew language using the TXM software. The research findings indicate a dialogic-interactive discourse in Netanyahu’s crisis communication, which is evident in the monologues, dialogues, and multilogues voices. In doing so, he involves various public figures who contribute to the struggle for his exoneration, creating a positive image of a prime minister seemingly enjoying widespread public support for his positions.
Practical Experience
In addition to writing his doctoral dissertation and being an integral part of his training as an academic staff member, Maxim teaches students in The Multidisciplinary Program in Humanities at Tel Aviv University. He also participates in domestic and international conferences, reviews peer works, edits the digital journal issues of the ADARR research group, and publishes articles. For example, Maxim highlighted the rhetorical strategies employed during Israel’s government’s communication efforts amid the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. He demonstrated how the public perceived the multiple voices heard during the government’s statements to the media as the prime minister’s solitary voice. Maxim also pointed out the challenges in integrating new immigrants from France into Israel and the existence of reciprocal stereotypical perceptions among the immigrants and longer-established Israelis. Additionally, he made the textometric method and the TXM software accessible for text analysis to quality researchers in Hebrew using the letter ‘ha’ (‘the’)—and there’s more to come.