This paper suggests the crucial necessity of an empathic stance in the face of extreme situations of conflict. Such a stance is called for despite a natural tendency under such circumstances of restricting and of clinging to one-sided, polarized narratives. These narratives are the outcome of defense mechanisms such as withdrawal, projection, projective identification and splitting. Accordingly, mustering empathy in the face of highly emotionally charged conflicts requires overcoming major obstacles, an exceptionally challenging, trying task. Terri Givens’ concept: “Radical empathy” and Le Capra’s: “unsettling empathy” accentuate the dramatic effects of such empathic effort. I shall discuss the major pitfalls of empathic endeavors and, offering examples, suggest some means to tackle and overcome them.