Ethical Judgments About Difficult History: How Jewish-Israeli Students Engage Ethically With the Israeli–Palestinian Conflict

This study analyzes Jewish-Israeli students’ historical ethical judgments (HEJ) about the 1948 War—a formative and difficult history within the Israeli–Palestinian conflict—and how those judgments shifted following the outbreak of the Israel–Gaza War in 2023. Using a mixed-methods approach, it draws on two rounds of data collection: just before the Israel–Gaza War ( N = 373) and months later ( N = 214). Findings show major differences in students’ HEJ and the changes between students who graduated from secular or religious education systems. After the war began, all subgroups—despite pronounced secular-religious differences—exhibited a notable decline in their judgment quality. The study suggests that historical thinking is more context-dependent than previously assumed and introduces an analytical framework for HEJ in diverse international contexts.