Victimhood acknowledgment as a vehicle to promote intergroup conciliatory attitudes in the context of intergroup conflict

Boaz Hameiri, Rahav Gabay, Tammy Rubel-Lifschitz, and Arie Nadler’s paper on Victimhood Acknowledgment as a Vehicle to Promote Intergroup Conciliatory Attitudes in a Context of Intergroup Conflict focuses on the consequences of denying and acknowledging victimhood. Although acknowledging victimhood in contexts of historical mass victimization may trigger positive effects on victims’ well-being and willingness to reconcile with their former tormentors, its denial can be experienced, conversely, as a revictimization. The chapter is based on research conducted in Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Two large-scale surveys and three field experiments examine the effects of the belief by group members that their adversary acknowledges their victimhood (Holocaust and Nakba for Jews and Palestinians, respectively). This belief is associated with Israeli-Jews’ readiness to accept responsibility for Palestinian sufferings and offer apologies. For Palestinians, it is also linked to a perceived higher likelihood of a reconciled future with Israelis.