Does vicarious experience of suffering affect empathy for an adversary? The effects of Israelis’ visits to Auschwitz on their empathy for Palestinians

Empathy for the adversary is part of peace education. Does the vicarious experience of suffering affect empathy towards the suffering of an adversary? Specifically, does the visit of Israeli youth to Auschwitz affect their empathy toward the Palestinians? Three hundred and nine high school students participated in the study: One half went on the journey, while the other, comparable half, served as a control group. Findings tended to support the hypotheses. The journey increased empathy among participants with initially more positive attitudes toward the Palestinians but it also decreased empathy among those with initially more negative ones. The choice of nationalistic lessons about the holocaust affected feelings of pride and identification with the victims but not empathy. The choice of universalistic lessons affected feelings of fear and helplessness and contributed to increased empathy. Conclusions are drawn pertaining to peace education programs aiming at increasing empathy toward an adversary.