Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: The collective memory of intractable conflicts typically shapes the identities, emotions, attitudes and behavior of the conflicting parties in a manner that keeps the conflict alive. This is true also regarding the Israeli (Jewish) collective memory of the Israeli-Arab/Palestinian conflict. Notwithstanding, to date there is no real data regarding the content of this memory. This presentation explores this memory for the first time, based on a public opinion survey conducted in Israel in summer 2008. The findings explore, first, the content of this memory regarding e major events of the conflict, from its beginning about a century ago to recent times. Second, the findings explore various factors that determine the content of this memory (e.g., socio-demographic factors). And lastly, the consequences of this memory are discussed (e.g., regarding political attitudes, the ethos of conflict or emotions towards the rival parties). These findings are relevant in the Israeli context as well as to collective memory of conflicts in general.

Publication Type: Paper (prepared oral presentation)
Abstract: Background & Aims: The study examined and compared use of coping strategies among groups of Israeli Jewish and Israeli Arab adolescents who faced missile attacks during the Second Lebanon War (July-August 2006). Relationships between the different coping styles and psychological outcomes of anxiety, anger and hope levels were also examined in the two groups.
Methods: Data were gathered from 303 Israeli adolescents (231 Jews and 72 Arabs) 12-19 years old that filled out self reported questionnaires among which demographics; Adolescent Coping Scale (ACS); State Anxiety; State Anger; Psychological Distress (SPD) and index of Hope.
Results: Both Jewish and Arab adolescents used mostly positive and active social coping strategies to deal with the war. Similarities were indicated on most of the coping styles as well as in some relationships between different coping styles and stress reactions. Coping styles of ‘mental and behavioral disengagement’ and ‘external locus of control’ were linked with more negative stress reactions while ‘positive growth’ was negatively linked to anger. Besides these significant similarities some differences were also emerged as Arab youths used more collectivist oriented strategies. The Hope index was linked only in the Arab sample to ‘positive growth’ and ‘social active’ coping styles while ‘venting emotion’ was linked to anxiety, anger and SPD among Jewish adolescents.
Conclusions: The results indicate that the two groups, belonging to two different cultures but facing the same stress situation, used mostly similar coping styles. These styles however found to be some differently linked to the psychological outcomes. The results will be discussed on the background of the interactional approach to stress and coping. Cultural, social and situational factors will be considered as well.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Usually the afetr effects of the Holocaust on German-Jewish relationships after the Holocaust are discussed separately from the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. This paper (panel?) tries to discuss the tense triangle of Germans-Jews and Palestinians. The author provides some evidence from his research to present this tense triangle and to discuss the relevance of triangles in current conflicts, suggesting that there is a "hidden particpant" that should be discussed openly in order to understand the dynamic that nurtures them.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: The paper offers a theoretical understanding of Israeli Settlement activity in the Occupied Territories in light of the centrality of the issue in the current conflict as well as any effort to achieve peace. By using a path dependent lens, the paper analyzes how the settlement project was launched, nurtured, and promoted by various Israeli governments since the late 1960's. The paper explores the expansion of the settlements despite the international and domestic costs incurred by various Israeli governments. The paper is based in part on original research, and concludes that three path dependent processes lay at the heart of the exponential increase in the number of settlements - from a handful in 1968 to over 220,000 in 2002. In all three processes, the analysis points to institutional and cultural factors (that assumed new modes over time) as a significant cause in settlement expansion. While the paper accepts the traditional ideological and strategic explanations for settlement activity, it offers a more intricate view by exploring path dependent and institutional mechanisms for the increase in the number of settlements. Dismantling Israeli settlements is going to be a key issue in any future peace negotiations, and might serve as a model in other conflicts. It I therefore important that we develop a clear conceptual understanding of how they came to be in the first place. In the last part, the paper highlights the theoretical implications of the settlements' case for path dependency. More specifically, the paper explores the various roles that path dependency plays in inhibiting opposition to certain policies.

Publication Type: Paper (prepared oral presentation)
Abstract: In this research we tested how parental values and children's ethnic identity (Tajfel, 1981; Brewer, 1991) contribute to their children's values (Schwartz, 1992), at the ages of 15-18. 105 Israeli families participated in the research 55 of them were Jewish and 50 Arabic families. In addition 418 German families participated in the research, 368 of them were Christians and 50 Jewish families. The values were devided into four subgroups (according to Schwartz, 1992): conservation values, openness to change, self enhancement and self transcendence values.
The dominant variable in predicting children's conservation values was parental conservation values but in predicting children's openness to change values the parental values explained only little of the variance. It is possible that parents try to transmit conservation values in various cultural contexts, in contrast to openness to change values which seem to be less important to parental transmission. In addition we found that children's ethnic identity with orientation of differentiation from their in group reduced parental impact of their self enhancement values on their children's self enhancement values. Finally, we found that conservation and self enhancement values were significantly higher among families belonging to minority groups in Israel and Germany as well.