The People's Image of Conflict Resolution

Abstract

This article presents a comparison of political preferences for solutions to the Israeli-Arab conflict of three samples of respondents synchronously interviewed: Israeli Jews, Israeli Arabs, and West Bank Arabs. The results indicate no solution is simultaneously endorsed at the grass roots by a plurality of Israeli Jews on the one hand, and Israeli Arabs or West Bank Arabs on the other. Nonetheless, both Jews and Arabs distinguish between ideal (coveted) solutions, and reality-bound ones they could live with and would accept. Within nationalities, attitudes vary to a limited extent according to social characteristics such as education and religiosity. Additionally, among Israeli Arabs attitudes are significantly affected by locality of residence, especially among rural dwellers, which is a reminder of the enduring relevance of the traditional-modern dimension of analysis for this population.

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