ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes Arab-Jewish relations in Israel and proposes a model for genuine coexistence. It examines the tension between the dominant Jewish majority and Palestinian minority models of coexistence in Israel, illustrating how these models reflect contrasting Arab and Jewish discourses in scholarly and policy debates. To lay the groundwork for this comparative analysis, the chapter first describes the dominant Jewish Zionist model that emerged in the 1950s. Abu-Nimer argues that this model adopts an accommodationist approach to coexistence, accepting power asymmetry in Arab-Jewish relations and supporting pragmatic intercommunal dialogues within the existing socio-political framework of domination. Next, the chapter introduces the Palestinian minority model that emerged after the 1967 war, advocating for a transformational approach to Arab-Jewish coexistence in Israel. According to Abu-Nimer, the Palestinian model calls for systemic change in power dynamics and aims to achieve genuine intercommunal partnership and full equality through institutional and structural transformation. Acknowledging the tension between these two models, the chapter examines how Arab-Jewish dialogue programs in Israel have adopted either approach over the past two decades, highlighting their responses to major events such as the mass Palestinian protests in 2000, 2004, 2021, and the 2023 war on Gaza. The findings suggest ways to reconcile the accommodationist-transformational tension and support a strategic approach that combines incremental steps with systemic change, crucial for achieving sustainable functional coexistence amid enduring conflict.
