Peacemaking through dialogue? Effects of intergroup dialogue on perceptions regarding the resolution of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict

Abstract

This study examines the effect of continued participation in conflict management dialogue workshops on perceptions regarding the management and the resolution of the protracted conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. The analysis is based on a unique set of data, which includes in-depth interviews with Israeli Jews who have been involved in Israeli–Palestinian conflict management workshops for extended periods of time, as well as full transcripts of the discussions in such workshops. Our findings indicate that continuous involvement in conflict management workshops with Palestinians increases Israeli Jews' awareness of the different and often contrasting perspectives, issues and considerations that relate to the resolution of the conflict. Extended participation in these workshops provides Israeli Jews with a new awareness of the depth and complexity of the conflict, and of the needs and perspectives of the Palestinians. Moreover, the repeated encounter with Palestinians brings Israeli Jews to recognize the serious limitations of commonly discussed proposals for solving the conflict, and the need to continue searching for additional solutions. These findings significantly contribute to our understanding of both the potential and limitations of bottom-up grassroots conflict management interventions, alongside top-down political processes of conflict resolution and peace negotiations, in promoting peacemaking and reconciliation.

Keywords::

• intergroup contact
• conflict resolution
• conflict management
• dialogue
• Israeli–Palestinian conflict
• peacemaking

Notes

^1. All names have been changed.

^2. Chanan is referring to the fact that in Israel there is a willingness to maintain a Palestinian minority of about 20% of the population, but not to allow a situation in which the Palestinian minority is significantly larger than that.

^3. Here, Noga is in favor of keeping the existing Law of Return, which allows Jews to freely immigrate to Israel, but prevents Palestinian refugees from returning to the country.

^4. Later in the interview, Noga spoke about how she was influenced by her participation in dialogue workshops with Palestinians: “I had a meaningful and founding experience … it [the dialogue encounter] undermined me, and mostly brought me to an understanding that I was living in repression and denial, and in ignorance … I feel I live like the lord of the manor in this country. I live at other people's expense in a lot of ways.”