Nostalgia as a vehicle for improving relations between Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs

The Israel-Hamas war has further strained relations between Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs. In a proof-of-concept experiment, testing 98 Israeli Jewish and 103 Israeli Arab participants, we examined whether nostalgia could be harnessed as a psychological asset for improving intergroup relations. Participants in the nostalgia condition reflected on a nostalgic interaction with an outgroup member, whereas participants in the control group reflected on an ordinary interaction with an outgroup member. Both Israeli Jewish and Israeli Arab participants in the nostalgia condition (compared to control) reported increased social connectedness and outgroup trust as well as improved outgroup attitudes and behavioural intentions. In addition, the effect of nostalgia on outgroup attitudes and behavioural intentions was serially mediated by social connectedness and outgroup trust. The findings point to nostalgia’s promise as a tool for enhancing intergroup relations.