Coexistence in Israel: A National Study

Author(s)
Maruskin, Laura A.; Ratliff, Jennifer J.; Pittinsky, Todd L.
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Abstract
This national study was conducted in an effort to directly examine the relations between Israel’s Jewish and Arab citizens. According to Israel’s 2007 census, the country has a Jewish majority of almost 80 percent and an Arab minority of approximately 20 percent (including Arabs in East Jerusalem). As in any pluralistic society, the quality of the relations between these ethnic and religious groups directly influences the well- being and vibrancy of the country and its global reputation as a democracy. We aimed to understand the feelings and attitudes of Jewish and Arab citizens in Israel toward key aspects of coexistence, such as support, opportunity, language policy, integration, responsibility, and urgency. We hope that these study findings will provide insight and guidance not only for policymakers, but also for the Israeli public.
Description
Survey data were obtained through telephone interviews with 1,000 adult Jewish citizens and face-to-face interviews with 721 adult Arab citizens. Each survey included approximately 150 items. For each of the two populations, six versions of the survey were created to counterbalance the items and control for any ordering effects. Because of our use of multiple versions, different questions have different sample sizes. Due to rounding and/or non-responses, percentages reported in bar graphs may not sum to 100.0%. The survey of Jews was conducted by phone from mid November to the end of December 2007. The survey of Arabs was conducted face-to-face from mid October to the end of December 2007. The surveys were created in English at the Center for Public Leadership and then translated into Hebrew, Arabic, and Russian. Professor Sammy Smooha of the University of Haifa aided us in the refinement of the survey and coordinated the translations and data collection.
Date issued
2008-05-15
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/55715
Publisher
Center for Public Leadership
Citation
Pittinsky, T. L., Ratcliff, J. J., & Maruskin, L. A. (2008). Coexistence in Israel: A National Study. Center for Public Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Keywords
leadership, allophilia, israel, arab, middle east, coexistence, intergroup
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