Utilizing restorative justice to address ongoing conflicts: the roles of malleability beliefs, hope, and civic engagement

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the role of malleability beliefs (MBs), hope and civic engagement in relation to attitudes toward restorative justice (RJ) in Israeli society, which is engaged in an ongoing, intractable conflict between Jews and Arabs. The study examines how these psychological and social factors are associated with willingness to participate in RJ during times of relative peace and periods of escalation. Design/methodology/approach Using a two-wave panel design, the study assessed the same participants (n = 339) before and during the recent Israel-Hamas war, focusing on the Jewish population. Differences in MBs across the two time points were examined, and correlations among MBs, hope, civic engagement and willingness to engage in RJ were analyzed using mediation models. Findings The findings showed differences in MBs between the two time points. Importantly, a positive correlation was found between hope, civic engagement and willingness to engage in RJ during the war. Moreover, an indirect effect was detected, whereby MBs – before but not during the war – were related to greater willingness to engage in RJ through increased civic engagement and hope. Originality/value This study advances the conflict management literature by offering a dynamic, context-sensitive reconceptualization of MBs within a protracted conflict. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, it is among the first to examine how MBs relate to support for RJ in a deeply divided society in wartime. By integrating MBs with hope and civic engagement, the study identifies statistical associations linking MBs to receptiveness to RJ, extending existing models beyond static or institutionally bounded contexts.