Attitudes towards Arab ascendance: Israeli and Global perspectives

Arab nations are decades behind many other previously colonized nations in developing stronger economies, more democratic institutions, and more autonomy and self-government, in part due to external interference. 2011 saw the potential for greater Arab autonomy through popular uprisings against autocratic governments in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen, and Bahrain, and requests by Palestinians for state recognition by the U.N. We examined the psychology of support for Arab ascendancy among adults in 14 nations in the Balkans, the Middle East, Asia, Oceania, Europe, and the U.S. We predicted and found that people low on social dominance orientation endorse forming an independent Palestinian state and desire the Arab uprisings to succeed. Rejecting ideologies that legitimize outside interference with Arabs mediated this support. Measures and model results were robust across world regions. We discuss theoretical implications regarding the advent of new ideologies, and extending social dominance theory to address international relations.