Intergroup Reconciliation Processes in Israel: Theoretical Analysis and Empirical Findings

doi:10.1017/CBO9781139106931.014

12 - Intergroup Reconciliation Processes in Israel: Theoretical Analysis and Empirical Findings

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 January 2012

Arie Nadler and

Ido Liviatan

Edited by

Nyla R. Branscombe and

Bertjan Doosje

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Arie Nadler: Affiliation:
Tel Aviv University
Ido Liviatan: Affiliation:
Tel Aviv University
Nyla R. Branscombe: Affiliation:
University of Kansas
Bertjan Doosje: Affiliation:
Universiteit van Amsterdam

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Summary

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict involves two national movements that lay claim to the same land. Since the end of the first major Arab-Israeli war in 1948, relations between Israelis and Palestinians have been marked by violence and distrust, and for most of their common history neither side has accepted the legitimacy of the other's national existence. This reality changed in 1993 when Israelis and Palestinians signed the Oslo Accords, a set of agreements in which both sides formally recognized the legitimacy of the other's national aspirations. Despite this breakthrough, the agreement stipulated that the final settlement between the parties would be postponed until the two sides amassed a sufficient level of trust to tackle the most difficult remaining issues. Consequently, the period between the summer of 1993 and the summer of 2000 was one of trust-building, and expectations for a near and peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict were high. In the summer of 2000, this hopeful reality suddenly changed again. Since then, and up through the summer of 2002, hostility and violence have replaced efforts to build a long-lasting peace. Although the present chapter represents a general analysis of intergroup reconciliation, the examples and findings are taken from the context of this conflict.

We begin by distinguishing between the concepts of conflict resolution and reconciliation. Following this distinction, two categories of reconciliation shall be identified – socio-emotional and trust-building reconciliation – and data that are relevant to this distinction will be presented.

Type: Chapter
Information: Collective Guilt
International Perspectives
, pp. 216 - 235

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139106931.014 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2004

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