Legitimization of the other narrative as a mediator of the relationships between national honor, dignity perceptions, and the willingness to reconcile: the case of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Becky Leshem and Shifra Sagy’s paper on the Legitimization of the Other Narrative as a Mediator of the Relationships Between National Honor and Dignity Perceptions and Willingness to Reconcile: The Case of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict examines the role played by the perception of dignity and national honor – identified as basic elements in national conflict cultures – to promote or obstacle willingness to reconcile among a sample of 343 Israeli Jewish university students. More precisely, legitimization of the Palestinian narratives has been tested here as a mediator of the relationship between personal dignity, perceptions of national honor, and the willingness to reconcile. The findings indicate that perceptions of personal dignity are positively connected with the willingness to reconcile, whereas perceptions of national honor are negatively related. The paper also presents direct and indirect positive relationships between legitimizing the narratives of the other and the willingness to reconcile by discussing practical implications for conflict resolution endeavors and future research.