American Jews and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict: A psychodynamically based understanding

Many American Jews who endorse progressive values are reluctant to express legitimate criticism of Israel and tend to hold Palestinians and their leaders fully responsible for the conflict. This article offers a number of explanations for the psychological forces at play for American Jews in this charged and important issue and suggests some possible mechanisms that may facilitate a more balanced and nuanced perspective to address the vicious cycle of this conflict. The paper ends by detailing a psychologically informed path that may help American Jews and other concerned citizens to challenge more comfortably current views on Israel and to advocate more actively for mutual collaboration and compromise in peace efforts.