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Can Israelis and Palestinians end their long conflict? The shocking violence of current events undermines hope, as does the long history of peace deals sabotaged by extremists on both sides. In this compelling and timely book, the eminent moral philosopher Jonathan Glover argues that one vital step towards progress is to better understand the disturbing psychology of the cycle of violence.
Glover explores the psychological flaws that entrap both sides: the urge to respond to wounds or humiliation with backlash; political or religious beliefs held with a rigidity that excludes compromise; and people’s identity being shaped by the conflict in ways that make it harder to imagine or even desire alternatives. Drawing on the history of comparable conflicts that eased over time, Glover proposes some ways to gradually weaken the grip of this psychology.
Completed as casualties mounted in the latest political and humanitarian crisis, Israelis and Palestinians is essential reading for anyone concerned by the ongoing violence in the Middle East.
Acknowledgements
Prologue
Part One: The Cycle of Violence
Chapter 1: Disputed Homeland
Chapter 2: Wounds and Backlash
Chapter 3: Breaking the Cycle?
Chapter 4: Joining the Conversation of Mankind
Part Two: Backlash
Chapter 5: The Psychology of Backlash
Chapter 6: The Illusions of Backlash
Chapter 7: Collective Guilt: The Role of Stereotypes
Part Three: Rigid Beliefs and Identity
Chapter 8: The Role of Rigid Beliefs
Chapter 9: Belief Systems: Challenge and Response
Chapter 10: Identity Traps
Epilogue
Notes
Index
Description
Can Israelis and Palestinians end their long conflict? The shocking violence of current events undermines hope, as does the long history of peace deals sabotaged by extremists on both sides. In this compelling and timely book, the eminent moral philosopher Jonathan Glover argues that one vital step towards progress is to better understand the disturbing psychology of the cycle of violence.
Glover explores the psychological flaws that entrap both sides: the urge to respond to wounds or humiliation with backlash; political or religious beliefs held with a rigidity that excludes compromise; and people’s identity being shaped by the conflict in ways that make it harder to imagine or even desire alternatives. Drawing on the history of comparable conflicts that eased over time, Glover proposes some ways to gradually weaken the grip of this psychology.
Completed as casualties mounted in the latest political and humanitarian crisis, Israelis and Palestinians is essential reading for anyone concerned by the ongoing violence in the Middle East.
