"אם כל המחאות" פוגשת את הזקנים בישראל: כשגיל ומגדר מצטלבים במחאה פוליטית

Background: The Israeli government’s announcement of a judicial overhaul has resulted in on going protests and strikes starting in early 2023. Aim: To examine the intersection between age and gender in political protests. Methods: This qualitative study is based on interviews with 13 men and 17 women over the age of 65 who participated in the protests. We conducted a qualitative thematic analysis, while taking the gender perspective into account. Findings: The study highlights differing patterns of gendered protesting practices and motivations between older men and women. Whereas men fought for the sake of past generations, women protested mainly for the sake of their children and grandchildren. In addition, men tended to capitalize on their past achievements as fighters, whereas women emphasized their current achievements as grandmothers. Conclusions and Implications: Our findings suggest that under some circumstances, older men tend to hold on to their past achievements as fighters, at the top of the hegemonic hierarchy, to ensure their power and status in current protests. On the other hand, for women, even stereotypical devalued attributes (e.g., being a grandmother) can be used as powerful tools to attract supporters and fight for a cause. To ensure the appeal of political protests, heterogeneity in motives and protesting styles should be acknowledged.