Violence Prevention Social Work Research with Jewish and Arab Populations in the Israeli Middle Eastern Context

Public discourse about violence in the Middle East and Israel are commonly ideological and politically oriented. There are, however, many social work researchers and practitioners focused on violence prevention, intergroup collaboration, efforts to create healthier and thriving communities, faith-based services, and efforts to garner greater supports and understanding for vulnerable groups in Jewish and Arab Israeli society. For those involved in social work research within the middle east context, the nuanced subtleties and complexities are critical variables that need to be integrated in order to have successful social work interventions. In addition to war, terrorism, religious strife, and wide within group ethnic differences, Israel also has a diverse socio-economic range of citizens social work services and innovations need to account for. Each of the panelist has been involved in well-being, violence prevention, inter-group and within group research aimed at improving both Jewish and Arab citizen’s lives from a social work research perspective. How are issues generic to religion, patriarchy, and fundamentalism handled from a social work research perspective? How are discrimination, inequality, and issues of bias addressed? These important research and policy narratives are seldom the focus of discussion. How Israeli academic researchers understand their impact on policy, teaching, understanding, quality of life, and supports offered are key themes for this panel. What types of supports and engagement from the broader international social work research community would be most helpful for the continuation or amplification of social work interventions will be a focus. How social work interventions, training, and research are accomplished in very political and ideological contexts will be part of the exchange.