Maternal Anti-politics in the formation of Hebron's Jewish enclave

This article examines the use of gender and the mother-child bond as a tactic in settlement expansion. In particular, it focuses on the activism of Kiryat Arba women during the 1970s aimed at establishing a permanent stronghold in municipal Hebron, and on the persuasiveness of maternalism in subsequent representations of more contemporary events. The main incidents of expansion into Hebron include: incursions into the Tomb of the Patriarchs, the establishment of a Jewish cemetery, and the takeover of a building in the city's center The article also investigates the rhetorical component of maternal activism. In these diverse contexts, the author argues that the effectiveness of maternalism in settlement expansion depends on a strategic use of the private sphere, which neutralizes the political content of women's actions.