Territorial disputes often ignite conflict due to two powerful forms of attachment: tangible material value and intangible symbolic meaning. This article tackles the methodological challenge of distinguishing between these motivations using survey experiments conducted among Israeli populations.
Surveys & Experiments:
* Conducted in Israel
* Employed survey experiment methodology
Key Findings:
* A significant portion of Jewish citizens attach symbolic importance to the West Bank, regardless of their political leaning (including moderate-right and centrist voters).
* This broad-based symbolic attachment substantially constrains leaders' negotiation space for resolving conflicts.
This Means That:
These findings demonstrate how widespread intangible bonds within a population can hinder practical solutions in politically charged territorial debates.
| Contested Ground: Disentangling Material and Symbolic Attachment to Disputed Territory was authored by Tamar Mitts, Devorah Manekin and Guy Grossman. It was published by Cambridge in PSR&M in 2019. |
