Abstract
Unlike polygamy in the Bedouin sector in Israel, which has already been studied in depth, polygamy among non-Bedouin Arab citizens of Israel remains in the shadows .This article aims to expose the opinions of men and women from the Muslim community in the Galilee and Triangle areas about polygamy and to try to find out whether gender power relations and the ethno-national conflict are expressed in their narratives and in what ways. The study examined the attitudes of men and women regarding polygamy by analyzing personal interviews with 22 Muslim women and men from the Galilee and the Triangle. The interviews were conducted in Arabic, translated, and later transcribed into Hebrew. A narrative analysis of the texts followed. The study emphasizes that polygamy is indeed prevalent in Israel not only among the Bedouin in the south but also among the Arabs in the north. Most of the interviewees regarded the issue from a religious perspective; but added a gendered perspective as well as a socio-cultural interpretation along with an ethno-national one. The narratives emphasize the conflictual relations with the state and the state law. The article reviews the interviewee’s positions on polygamy - both men and women - and sheds light on broader issues related to the citizenship of Arab-Palestinian women and men in the State of Israel.
Translated title of the contribution | Polygamy among Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel: narratives from within the community |
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Original language | Hebrew |
Pages (from-to) | 107-134 |
Number of pages | 28 |
Journal | המרחב הציבורי |
Volume | 19 |
State | Published - 2024 |
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