Belonging to Both Sides of the Conflict: Narratives of Children of Mixed Jewish-Arab/Palestinian Marriages in Israel/Palestine

• In Event: Assessing Victimization and Vulnerablity in Diverse Social, Historical, and Cultural Contexts

Abstract

The paper describes and analyzes the experiences, hardships, and dilemmas of children whose parents belong to opposite sides of the Israel-Palestine conflict. The dataset is comprised of narratives of 6 adult male and female offspring of mixed marriages (Israeli Jewish women and Arab/Palestinian men) who grew up in Israel and describe their childhood and growing up experiences in mixed families, the hardships they encountered in their own extended family, in school, and other social and familial spheres of life. The data are complemented with input from social workers employed by an organization that assists women in mixed marriages and their children, and the mothers’ stories of their own experiences with their children. The analysis suggests that the offspring often face dilemmas associated with social expectations “to take a side,” mono-racism, identity challenges, and at least initially being outcasts in both societies. The findings document that the offspring’s adaptations to the difficult situation and dilemmas take three forms: assuming a Jewish, an Arab, or a multicultural identity. The paper concludes with implications of the findings for theory and practice.

Authors

• Edna Erez, University of Illinois Chicago

• Peter R. Ibarra, University of Illinois Chicago

• Anat Ben-Porat, Bar Ilan University