Looking Backward to Move Forward Effects of Acknowledgment of Victimhood on Readiness to Compromise for Peace in the Protracted Israeli–Palestinian Conflict

• Published in: Personality & social psychology bulletin Vol. 43; no. 4; pp. 555 - 569
• Main Authors: Hameiri, Boaz, Nadler, Arie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.04.2017; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Adult; Arabs - psychology; Attitude; Borders; Competitive Behavior; Crime Victims - psychology; Female; Group Processes; Holocaust; Humans; Israel; Jewish people; Jews - psychology; Male; Palestinian people; Peace; Trust; Victimization; Young Adult; Jerusalem Israel; Israel; victimhood acknowledgment; psychological barriers; competitive victimhood; intractable conflict; needs-based model; psychological intervention
• ISSN: 0146-1672; 1552-7433
• DOI: 10.1177/0146167216689064

Two large-scale surveys conducted in Israel (Study 1A) and the Palestinian Authority (Study 1B) show that the belief by group members that people in the “enemy” group acknowledge their victimhood (i.e., Holocaust and Nakba for Jews and Palestinians, respectively) is associated with Israeli-Jews’ readiness to accept responsibility for Palestinian sufferings and offer apologies. For Palestinians, this belief is linked to a perceived higher likelihood of a reconciled future with Israelis. Three field experiments demonstrate that a manipulated high level of acknowledgment of Jewish victimhood by Palestinians (Studies 2 and 4) and of Palestinian victimhood by Israeli-Jews (Study 3) caused greater readiness to make concessions for the sake of peace on divisive issues (e.g., Jerusalem, the 1967 borders, the right of return) and increased conciliatory attitudes. Additional analyses indicate the mediating role of increased trust and reduced emotional needs in these relationships.