In the Aftermath of Historical Trauma

This chapter discusses divergent perceived moral obligations that have been derived in Jewish Israeli society from the ingroup’s experience of collective victimization in the Holocaust. These obligations are to never be a passive victim again, to never forsake ingroup members in need, to never be a passive bystander when others are being harmed, and to never be a perpetrator yourself. These perceived moral obligations result in divergent attitudes and behaviors, ranging from solidarity with other victims to legitimization of violence against perceived enemies. The authors discuss the role of religious narratives (in this case, from the Exodus story in the Bible/Torah) in shaping these lessons of collective victimhood. The chapter briefly reviews empirical research on related collective victim beliefs—perpetual ingroup victimization orientation (PIVO) and fear of victimizing (FOV)—in several different contexts (Israel, Palestine, and Northern Ireland).