The Impact of Jewish-Arab Educational and Work Encounters

Abstract

This paper will focus on two case studies concerning the impact of extended contact between Jews and Arabs: (1) In an extended joint educational setting; and (2) in an extended work setting. These two case studies afford the opportunity to further test the contact hypothesis (Amir, 1969) and compare several types of contact. A year long Arab-Jewish co-existence course conducted last year at the main campus of Bar-Ilan University has been assessed quantitatively for perception change among the participants. Such contact which is based on extended joint educational activity brought about positive perception change particularly among Jewish religious Israelis who began contact with negative perception. The subject of the course revolved around identity and lifestyle along with inter-cultural/religious elements. Furthermore Arab participants had demonstrably more positive perceptions towards Jews than the opposite. To augment evaluation of this educational activity, extended contact between Israeli Jews and Arabs, and Palestinian Arabs primarily of student age, who were employed together at a Dead Sea Hotel as seasonal workers was similarly assessed. These two cases offer additional insight into the utility of Jewish-Arab and Israeli-Palestinian contact particularly in the current period of increased ethno-national tension and suggest that Arab attitudes towards Jews may not have polarized as much as assumed.