Voicing or Silence: Palestinian Israeli and Jewish Israeli Social Workers' Relationships during Political Turmoil.

This study investigates the relationships between Palestinian Israeli and Jewish Israeli social workers in six ethnonational mixed cities in Israel following the violent political events of May 2021. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, interviews with twenty-five social workers revealed a predominant pattern of silence regarding political discussions at work, motivated by fears of professional repercussions, maintaining workplace harmony, and avoiding conflict. Three main themes emerged: the subjects avoided in conversation, reasons for this silence, and rare instances where social workers broke the silence in informal or formal settings. The study highlights silence as both a coping mechanism and a complex social dynamic influenced by historical and power-related factors, recommending enhanced conflict awareness, training, and supportive dialogue frameworks within social work practice in conflict-affected contexts.