It’s the Messenger: Identity-Based Evaluation of Amicable Messages During Conflict

Abstract Despite the potential of amicable messages to transform the course of conflicts, studies have neglected the reasons target audiences accept or reject such messages. This study examines the evaluation of amicable messages conveyed by three groups of leaders perceived as “controversial” in the context of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict from the Israeli perspective: Palestinian, Middle Eastern, and Western. A content analysis of comments (N = 1,885) to news reports about amicable messages delivered by leaders of the three groups showed that the use of Israeli commenters in source-, receiver-, and message-related argument vary when commenting to amicable messages from different leaders. We discuss potential explanations for these distinct patterns and how leaders aiming to appease foreign audiences can formulate effective amicable messages.