Jewish Israeli social work students' attitudes to the prospect of being assigned an Israeli Arab client

This study attempts to examine implications of political conflicts in social work with clients from the rival group. Using an anonymous, open-ended questionnaire, this study examines responses of 78 Jewish Israeli social work students to the hypothetical prospect of treating an Israeli Arab client. The vast majority expected cultural and political differences to greatly complicate therapeutic relationships. The willingness to treat the client ranged from those who were eager to do so through those who said they would refuse. The great majority fell in the middle and expressed readiness to overcome impediments they anticipated, including their own biases and ambivalences.