Civic engagement among Jewish and Arab youth in Israel: The impact of participating in youth councils and nonformal education frameworks.

This article examines civic engagement education among youth in Israel, focusing on how formal and nonformal educational contexts shape civic learning and participatory orientations. It highlights the importance of structured opportunities in fostering democratic attitudes. The study involved 1,168 participants aged 14–18, including 810Jewish (69.3%)and 358Arab(30.7%)youth.Usingacivicengagement questionnaire, the research assessed six measures of engagement, revealing that Jewish youth reported higher levels than Arab youth, reflecting existing structural and educational disparities. Youth council members demonstrated the highest engagement overall, regardless of ethnicity. Participation had a more substantial impact on Arab youth’s civicengagement, particularly at the level of perceived civicefficacy and participatory orientations, suggesting that structured involvement can be especially transformative for minority populations. Differences were also noted in electoral participation, civic justice, and political expression, mirroring cultural and educational disparities between minority and majority groups in Israel. The findings emphasize the importance of early civic education for fostering democratic values and participation, and conceptualize civic engagement primarily as a process of civic learning rather than as a direct behavioral or peacebuilding outcome. They also underline the particular relevance for Arab youth, whose unique needs and cultural backgrounds call for inclusive, equitable civic education as a means to promote social cohesion. This research informs strategies for expanding nonformal civic education within Arab communities and contributes to an international understanding of how civic education can bridge social divides in multicultural societies.