If Peace Comes ... Future Expectations of Israeli Children and Youth

This article explores the development of attitudes among Israeli Jewish and Arab children and youth, and their possible relevance to peace. The article is based on free compositions written in schools by 9-18 year olds in Jewish and Arab towns and villages in central Israel before, as well as shortly after, President Sadat's Peace Offer in Jerusalem in 1977. The 1224 essays were subjected to content analysis as well as to a more impressionistic study. Many similarities between Jews and Arabs were found. Be fore Sadat, younger children saw peace as natural. The older ones (17-18 years) generally argued that peace is a well-defined but unrealistic ideal of doubtful desirability, especially for Jews. Neither ethnic group was aware of its own part in the conflict, seeing themselves as helpless victims of each other. The effect of Sadat's visit was influenced primarily by the social role of each age. The age groups 9-10, 13-14 realized that peace has a price, and became sceptical. The 17-18 year olds, who expect to encounter adult society and army induction (for Jews), focused on the hope for peace with enthusiastic creative imagination. All groups saw peace primarily as active rather than passive. Its realization was seen as something beyond one's own influence or control.