Abstract

In this seminar, we explore the ethical dimension of the most controversial event in Israeli history—the Nakba, meaning “the catastrophe” in Arabic. The Nakba refers to the forced expulsion and displacement of approximately 750,000 Palestinians by Israeli forces during the 1948 War, which led to the destruction of Palestinian society.

This seminar analyzes ethical historical judgments about the Nakba on two dimensions. First, we present key findings from our recently published article on the representation of the Nakba in official educational materials used in two Jewish education systems in Israel. Second, we share preliminary findings from an ongoing studythat investigates how graduates of two Jewish education systems ethically judge the events of the 1948 War and the degree to which their historical ethical judgments have changed in light of the current Israel-Gaza War.

Beyond the significance of the 1948 War and the Nakba to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, this topic serves as a unique case study of the characteristics of historical ethical judgments in the context of a violent and protracted conflict.