Ethnonational Identities in a Protracted Social Conflict: An analysis of the Israel-Palestine conflict and of the proposals for its resolution

Abstract

This study analyses and discusses the Israel-Palestine conflict from a social and non-material perspective through political and social-psychology theories. To do so, it poses the following research question: What are the social-psychological factors evident in the ethnonational identities of Israelis and Palestinians that have hindered a resolution to their conflict, and what kind of political solution may help overcome the impasse? In order to respond to the question, the study first frames the conflict according to Edward Azar’s Protracted Social Conflict theory. Secondly, it analyses the political

discourse of political and civil society representatives of both ethnonational groups to find social- psychological factors hindering a resolution to the conflict. Thirdly, it discusses the two-state solution and the binational state solution in accordance with two major themes: the Jewish character of the state of Israel and the Right of Return, two key social-psychological factors that feature strongly in the collective memories of the groups.