Israeli Adolescents Engage Ethically With the Nakba: Before and After the War in Gaza

• In Event: From Bearing Witness to Teaching Consciousness: Instructional and Curricular Approaches to Teaching "Difficult" Topics

Abstract

This study explores how Israeli adolescents' ethical judgments about the Nakba and the 1948 War evolved following the onset of the Israel-Gaza War. Using questionnaires distributed to graduates of religious and secular education systems, we found significant differences in their historical ethical stances. Religious education graduates were more likely to justify Israeli actions, with increased assertiveness in the post-war round, while secular graduates showed greater diversity and critical openness. Gender emerged as a significant predictor in both rounds, with women more likely to express uncertainty and intellectual humility. This research highlights how current circumstances affect historical understanding and the profound impact of educational and gender factors on historical ethical judgments.

Authors

• Roy Weintraub, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

• Lindsay S. Gibson, University of British Columbia