STRUCTURE OF SECURITY BELIEFS AMONG ISRAELI STUDENTS

This is an explorative study designed to assess the structure of security beliefs among Israeli university students (N = 458). The study employed a combination of openended and closed questions, By and large, the results support the notion that security beliefs have a multidimensional basis. Thus, insecurity-inducing situations are differentiated into those rooted in the collective experience on the one hand, and those related to personal experiences on the other. However, regression analyses reveal that it is the latter, rather than the former, that produce the highest effect in terms of explained variance. The present study suggests that future research into security beliefs should explore their status as a cultural master symbol and the implications thereof. Further research in this direction seems necessary if one accepts that any future peace settlement in the Middle East will have to take into account the fears of the Israeli people and alleviate their feelings of insecurity.