Psychologist Timur Sevincer from Leuphana University Lüneburg is working with researchers from the University of Jerusalem, Humboldt University Berlin and the University of California to investigate ways of reducing hostility and facilitating contact in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Ministry of Science and Culture of Lower Saxony and the Volkswagen Foundation are funding the three-year project with 500,000 euros.
Lüneburg/Germany, April 2, 2025 Following the terrorist attacks of 7 October 2023 and the war in Gaza, anti-Israeli attitudes have increased in Arab countries, as have anti-Arab attitudes in Israel. Such antagonisms can also be increasingly observed in Germany and the USA. Sevincer is interested in the psychological mechanisms behind such conflicts between groups. He wants to better understand the background and develop concrete measures to promote openness and reduce intransigence.
The psychological factors underlying such conflicts include the attitude that one’s own perception reflects the objective truth. Added to this is the inability to see the other side’s perspective and the lack of a prospect for a better future in the face of existing obstacles.
The project aims to investigate whether interventions aimed at these psychological processes can positively influence attitudes and beliefs in connection with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The perception of a threat to one’s own group is a central factor in the development of negative attitudes towards other groups. One way of countering this is through so-called self-affirmations, i.e. positive, affirming thoughts and statements. The researchers want to find out whether this tool can increase the effectiveness of the interventions, particularly in connection with self-perception.
The researchers want to test the effectiveness of the interventions they have developed on different groups (e.g. pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli activists) in Israel, Germany and the USA. The findings will then form the basis for video-based interventions that educators and practitioners can use as practical tools in conflict resolution.
Background:
Sevincer’s proposal was able to prevail against a broad field of competitors in the Volkswagen Foundation’s review process. From a total of 23 applications submitted, eight projects made it through to the top selection for the funding programme for cooperation between Israeli and Lower Saxony universities and research institutions, which is endowed with a total of 4 million euros.
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