“The War on Ageism” or How Ageism is Reduced during Wartime

Objectives: The study evaluated the perceptions of lay people in Israel concerning the presence of ageism during the Swords of Iron War. Design, Setting, Participants, and Measurements: Two open-ended online questions about general views of ageism during the war as well as personal experiences with ageism during the war were answered by a convenience sample of 902 Israelis (average age 47.13 years [SD = 18.41], 502 [55.7%] women) during the month of April 2024. Results: In total, 42.4% of the responses described nonexistence of or decline in ageism during the war in general, whereas 79.1% of the responses described nonexistence of or decline in ageism based on their own personal experience during the war. This was attributed to: 1) increased collaboration between the generations, 2) younger people's willingness to sacrifice their lives, and 3) older persons’ contribution during the war. A fourth theme involved responses indicating no or declining ageism without detailed explanation. Conclusions: The findings are discussed in the context of contact and threat theories. It is noteworthy that a horrific situation like war, combined with neo-liberal values that idolize activity and contribution, may have unexpectedly positive consequences, such as reduced ageism.