Conflict in an Israeli Collective Community

Abstract

This article deals with social conflict in a moshav (an Israeli collective community) settled mainly by American immigrants. A model of the causes of social conflict is used to analyze the dynamics of the case. An underlying schism among the members of the community, reflecting differential identification with American and Israeli values, was exacerbated by dissonant structural conditions. Two Israeli organizations responsible for helping new collective communities intervened and favored one of the factions in the conflict. Their bias neutralized the possibility of a conciliating role either by the members unaffiliated with the conflicting factions or by a private social agency which tried to mediate the conflict. The author was involved as a consultant in the attempted mediation.

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