Physical education teacher education for intercultural citizenship in a traumatized society

In divided and conflict-affected societies, higher education institutions offer opportunities for sustained intergroup encounter. Yet proximity alone does not produce meaningful interaction, trust, or cooperation. This challenge is particularly acute in Israel, where Arab and Jewish students enter higher education after years of segregated schooling, amid tensions and intensified fear, mistrust, and collective trauma following October 7, 2023, and the subsequent war. This perspective article argues that Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) offers an underexplored space for fostering intercultural citizenship. It synthesizes relevant theoretical perspectives and evidence from studies by the authors and others to develop a framework for PETE in divided and traumatized societies. Integrating intergroup contact theory, intercultural citizenship, Sport for Development and Peace, and trauma-sensitive pedagogy, the framework positions PETE as a space for structured contact, embodied cooperation, civic engagement, and resilience. The framework is illustrated through the "Roaming Course," an experiential, student-led PETE model combining on-campus learning, encounters in diverse communities, shared physical activity, and guided reflection. Drawing on studies involving Arab and Jewish PETE students in Israel, the article shows how structured, discipline-based contact may narrow the gap between willingness to engage and actual intergroup interaction while strengthening students' capacity to cope with social tension and collective trauma. It demonstrates the value of embedding intercultural citizenship within core curricula rather than relying on extracurricular interventions. It concludes that PETE can prepare future educators to act as agents of social connection, inclusion, and resilience in divided societies.