During times of international negotiation, political leaders often play a ‘two-level game’, reflected in disparate message designs aimed at satisfying differing audience expectations. The existence of a two-level game in a globalized media environment results in leaders facing an avoidance dilemma, as presenting distinctly different messages could threaten both credibility and maneuverability. Thus, political leaders employ a series of discursive strategies to reduce message gaps in order to facilitate solidarity at home and an appearance of cooperation abroad. Based on discourse analysis of 368 political speeches in the context of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, we present a typology of message gap strategies used by Israeli officials. The article discusses six gap strategies and concludes by clarifying their role in conflict resolution processes.

Being perceived as consistent is a crucial concern for political actors’ in their efforts to mobilize public opinion. This study comprises an analysis of the self-reflexive performance of consistency by Israeli politicians, focusing on the definitions and types of ‘consistency’ in political talk and their consequences. Through an analysis of 194 meta-discursive statements between 2006 and 2017, we illustrate that consistency constitutes a spatiotemporal coordination among cognitions, actions (words and deeds), and the external world, while also being viewed as potentially transforming political reality. Perceived as a sought-after value indicative of truth-telling, determination, and clarity, political actors view consistency as an essential character trait, associated with ideological fortitude, and a basis for practical policy realization. (Consistency, ideology, political discourse, meta-discourse)*

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