Chapter 7: Dialectic Contradictions in the Experiences of Israeli Jewish Adolescents: Efficacy and Stress, Closeness and Friction, and Conformity and Noncompliance

Israel is a young country founded in May 1948. Most of its citizens are either themselves new immigrants or second- and third-generation immigrants. They came mostly from Eastern Europe, many of them following the Holocaust, or from Arab countries, many as refugees. Thus, themes of trauma and of persecution are part of the experience of the family or of the collective legacy of many Israelis (Elon, 1971). Moreover, Israeli society has had to struggle with the integrity of the diverse cultural heritage of Jews from all over the world.

Another significant characteristic of Israel has to do with its security situation. During its 55 years of existence, Israel has undergone seven wars with its Arab neighbors. In addition, between the wars, there were constant acts of violence along the borders and acts of terrorism inside the country; most recent of these are the events of the previous and the current Intifada (the term employed to describe the uprising of Palestinian Arabs in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the territories occupied by Israel during the Six-Days War in 1967). Furthermore, and most pertinent to our focus on adolescence, a majority of each 18-year-old cohort of Jewish young men and women (85% for men and 65% for women) serve compulsory military service in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for 2–3 years.