Correlates of Readiness for Interethnic Relations of Israeli Jews and Arabs

The first goal of the research was to examine the relationship of selected psychosocial variables to the professed readiness of two ethno-national groups (Jews and Arabs) to enter into increasingly intimate social relations with one another. The variables were (a) frequency and importance of intergroup contact, (b) expectation that members of the other ethnic group are ready to enter into these relations, (c) ethno-cultural empathy, and (d) ideological orientation. The second goal was to determine whether the pattern of these correlations in each ethnic group is consistent with a long-standing commitment to social interaction (relational contract) or with a short-term commitment that could change as geopolitical circumstances change (transactional contract). Questionnaires were completed by 245 Israeli college students, half Arab (Muslims) and half Jewish, in two consecutive studies. All psychosocial variables were highly correlated with readiness for social relations with members of the other group for Jewish students, but not for Arab students. The pattern of these relationships was consistent with a relational contract in the former group and a transactional one in the latter. We recommend that psychosocial research on ethno-national conflicts include designs and measures that assess the long-term stability of intergroup intentions professed by parties to the conflict.