School Counselling as a Bridge: Fostering Empathy and Jewish–Arab Relations among Adolescents in Israel

This presentation examines whether fostering emotional intelligence and empathy among Jewish and Arab adolescents can contribute to greater empathy toward the other group and improve Jewish–Arab relations. A school-based counselling intervention was conducted separately with Jewish and Arab adolescents, without direct intergroup contact or explicit discussion of the Jewish–Arab conflict. The study included 287 adolescents aged 16–17 (115 Jewish and 172 Arab) from northern Israel. Participants completed measures of emotional intelligence, empathy toward in-group and out-group members, and relations with the out-group; focus groups provided complementary qualitative data. Findings indicated improvements in empathy toward the out-group and in intergroup relations, although patterns differed between Jewish and Arab participants. The qualitative findings also indicated improved social relationships following the intervention. The study highlights the potential of an indirect approach to intergroup relations: strengthening emotional and empathic capacities within the in-group may extend to greater empathy and more positive relations with the out-group, even without direct intergroup contact or explicit engagement with the conflict. This approach may offer a valuable direction for school counselling interventions aimed at fostering intergroup relations in contexts of protracted conflict.

Masri, Sehrab. "School Counselling as a Bridge: Fostering Empathy and Jewish–Arab Relations among Adolescents in Israel." Presentation at Christians and Muslims in Israel — Facts, Myths and Lived Reality, Religion, Society & Interreligious Studies International Academic Conference Series, Institute for Hebrew Language and Literature, 28 January 2027.