Living together : the impact of the Intifada and the peace negotiations on attitude toward coexistence of Arab and Jewish pupils in ethnically segregated and mixed schools in Jaffa

Abstract

Changes in the willingness of Jews and Arabs to coexist was the subject of two studies conducted in 1989 and again in 1994 among 12-year-olds in schools in Jaffa, an Israeli town where a large population of Arabs coexists with a Jewish population. The Palestinian uprising, the commencement of direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, and the peace treaty with Jordan have marked the attitudes of Jewish and Arab pupils in ethnically mixed and segregated schools. The study also explored the interaction effect between time when attitudes were measured and type of school. An increase was found in separatist tendencies, especially 'among Arab students studying in Arab schools. There was also a drop in faith in coexistence especially among Jewish pupils. Reality was increasingly perceived to offer equal occupational opportunities on the part of both Jewish and Arab pupils in integrated schools. Finally. we observed a growing faith in coexistence among Arab students studying in integrated schools. Since joint Jewish and Arab schooling decreases isolationist tendencies and increases willingness to coexist, findings seem to justify this type of schooling.