הוצאת ילדים מהבית בצו בית משפט: ההשפעות על אימהות ערביות ממזרח ירושלים

Arab women from East-Jerusalem live in a traditional and patriarchalsociety and most of them fulfil traditional duties as wives and mothers. Iftheir children are removed for out-of-home placements, the cultural andpolitical context of their lives differentiates their experiences from those ofother mothers who live in Western societies. This study aims to examinethe implications of institutionalizing children on Arab mothers from East-Jerusalem in different aspects of their lives: personal, familial and social.In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 Arab mothersfrom East-Jerusalem from whom at least one child was removed to out-of-home placement by an Israeli court order, for a period of over four years.The mothers described a variety of implications on their lives as a result oftheir children’s removal, including emotional distress and health impacts.They experienced an increase in violence against them from their biologicalfamilies, their spouses and their spouse’s families. Socially, the mothers experienced banishment and criticism as ones who tryto abandon their motherly duties. The effects of child removal for out-of-home placement on Arab mothers are vast, either because being a mother istheir main societal expectation, or considering the abuse experienced bythose women throughout their lives. The study highlighted the need todesign interventions with these women according to their uniquecharacteristics and to promote their empowerment.