[1] The book applies psychiatric insights to the Arab-Israel conflict by arguing that Israel's reaction to perceived Arab hostility is a corollary of the Stockholm syndrome in which hostages come to identify and empathize with their captors.

"[6] Jerold Auerbach, a history professor from Wellesley College, described the book as "comprehensive historical description and compelling psychological interpretation of the “delusions of a people under siege""[1] Iddo Netanyahu described The Oslo Syndrome "attempts to show how a whole country can suffer from wishful thinking.

A great majority [of Israelis] thought the accords we signed with [Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasser] Arafat and his people would bring peace.

"[7] Excerpt from the book: "This phenomenon reveals great similarity, at the level of human psychology, to the response of children subjected to chronic abuse.

Thus, he continues, "those segments of the Jewish community who live and work in environments hostile to Israel, commonly embrace the anti-Israel bias around them.