Contested motherhood in the ethnic state

Abstract

The impending future loss of the Jewish majority due to higher Palestinian birth rates and shrinking immigration exacerbate existential insecurities among Jewish Israelis. The ongoing competition for limited public resources, electoral power and political influence hinge on the size and natural increase of different ethnic sectors. In this ethnocentric milieu, motherhood for both Israeli and Arab citizens is construed as a national mission and an epitome of devotion to one's people. The set of this study — hospital maternity unit — serves as a meeting place for diverse and often contentious ethnocultural identities and mothering practices of the birthing women. I explore the distinct voices of Israeli mothers belonging to four ethnocultural groups: Jewish natives, Arab natives, and Russian and Ethiopian immigrants of the last 15 years. The article highlights the dissents and mutual stereotypes pertaining to maternal practices, parental responsibilities and `quantity vs. quality' in family planning. It shows how political and ethnic conflicts shaping Israeli macro-level public agenda play out in the everyday interactions between birthing women, shaping mutual constructions of the Other in the context of motherhood.