Page 145 - Communication Theory and Research

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130 Communication Theory & Research
Motherhood as a source of delegitimization

Motherhood serves as a double-edged sword, since it is also the major source of
delegitimizing the arguments put forward by the movement. Mothers were
presented as egocentric, emotional, inconsiderate members of society, worrying
‘only’ about the welfare of their own flesh and blood, and not about the common
good of society. Such treatment was mainly expressed in private letters to the
editors, commentaries and quotes from others in articles, but never explicitly
stated by journalists themselves. ‘As a father to three sons in this tiresome
country, I want to say truthfully what I think about such articles of women who
“send” their son to the army. When a person does not learn to control his [sic]
fears, he [sic] clings to slogans’, writes a citizen in response to a commentary in
support of the Four Mothers (Fromkin, Ma’ariv, 19 January 1998). ‘The attempt
to camouflage a personal egocentric worry (although understood and justified),
in ideological-moral arguments is too transparent and cannot deceive us’, writes
another male citizen (Zaharoni, Ma’ariv, 23 September 1997).
The opinion that mothers lack the skills, experience and knowledge to make
judgements related to security matters was often stated. ‘Mothers do not under-
stand a thing about security’, states a quote in a subtitle (Glikman, Yediot Acharonot,
3 February 1998). ‘If we were men it would have been easier’, confesses one of
the activists, ‘the male establishment has a hard time accepting us and reacts in
sentences such as “what do you understand in logistics and strategy”’ (Shneid,
Ma’ariv, n.d.).
Interestingly enough, even the members of the movement themselves are
sometimes quoted to concur with this line of argument: ‘We do not pretend to be
able to give advice regarding security, but we are sure that there are other options
to guarding the northern border’ (Glikman, Yediot Acharonot, 3 June 1997).
This theme is highlighted by juxtaposing the irrational, non-experienced voice
of mothers with that of the rational, experienced ‘men’. In covering a major
demonstration, the reporter describes: ‘Besides mothers of soldiers, there were
also fathers, senior reserve officers, and released soldiers, who were going to try
to explain that there is an alternative to the IDF’s stay in Lebanon’ (Glikman,
Yediot Acharonot, 3 June 1997). Interestingly enough, women who are not mothers
are not even counted among participants in this gathering, the assumption being
that only mothers of soldiers are involved, and not women as concerned citizens.
Similarly, the joining of men into the movement sheds a new light on the
message put forward: ‘Only fathers talked in an assembly of Four Mothers’,
states a headline, followed later in the article by a protest quote from one of the
movement’s representatives. ‘“I insist that there will also be time for women to
talk ... the fact that I wasn’t a pilot or a fighter in the military – that doesn’t mean
I don’t have something to say.”’ Following a detailed description of the various
opinions expressed by men in this gathering, the article continues:

Only toward the end of the conference, when the last of the men had had his
say, did a few women approach the microphone and express their opinions.
In the next conference, that’s what the organizers promised, mothers and