 Kampf, Z. (2016). Rhetorical Bypasses: Connecting with the hearts and minds of people on the opponent’s side. Journal of Multicultural Discourses DOI:10.1080/17447143.2016.1181639 Rhetorical Bypasses: Connecting with the hearts and minds of people on the opponent’s side Zohar Kampf Abstract In recent years, with the establishment of a complex global media environment, foreign political leaders have been utilizing various rhetorical and media strategies for bypassing domestic national leaders to reach the hearts of the public on the other side. In this paper I discuss this practice and demonstrate three types of rhetorical bypasses that can be positioned on two ends of a continuum. At one end, the foreign actor aims at instilling fear in the heart of his or her audience by issuing threats or warnings that forecast a dark future, while at the other end, he or she aims at warming the hearts of that same public by utilizing various modes of reconciliatory talk, i.e., greetings, apologies, or promises of a bright shared future. I conclude by discussing the struggles that rhetorical bypasses evoke. Introduction In September of 2013, Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani, arrived at the United Nations armed with a broad smile and reconciliatory gestures. His performance, broadcast live, was called a ‘charm offensive’ by the international news media. 1 Rouhani undermined his feisty predecessor, Mahmud Ahamadinijad, who had used civil yet tough, non-appeasing, and uncompromising rhetoric in his 11 broadcast appearances on American TV (Kampf & Liebes, 2013). In contrast, Rouhani turned Iran’s diplomatic strategy on its head, giving hope to the West for negotiating a settlement that would result in the halting of Iran’s nuclear program in 2015. Rohuani’s mediated diplomatic smiles were soon confronted with warnings from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In contrast to Rouhani’s conciliatory initiative, Netanyahu painted pictures of a dark future with words aimed at intimidating his American audience. Reflecting on how political figures around the world utilize global media to appeal directly to foreign audiences, Fox News commentator Greta Van Susteren commented, ‘It’s sort of fascinating…we have these [Rouhani, Netanyahu] world leaders now who are almost bypassing the leaders and speaking to the people’. 2