Beliefs Predicting Peace, Beliefs Predicting War: Jewish Americans and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Date
2013-12
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Publisher
Wiley
Abstract
Jewish Americans’ beliefs about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can serve either to inhibit or to
facilitate the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians. Attitudes toward conflict
resolution and beliefs about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its origins were assessed among a sample of 177 Jewish Americans. Endorsement of a monolithic view of the conflict represented the strongest predictor of non-compromising attitudes toward the Palestinians. Endorsement of dehumanizing and delegitimizing statements about the Palestinians predicted non-compromising attitudes to a much lesser extent. A zero-sum view of the conflict and beliefs about collective victimhood did not predict non-compromising attitudes toward conflict resolution. Findings are discussed in terms of their challenge to theories of collective victimhood in conflict settings and their support for the centrality of narrative in conflict resolution and peacebuilding.
Description
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Keywords
core beliefs, diaspora, community, narrative, Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Citation
Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy. Dec 2013, Vol. 13 Issue 1, p286, 24 p. DOI: 10.1111/asap.12023