“Locked, loaded, and online”: gendered critiques of Israeli security through the lens of female gun owners

This article examines how armed Israeli women use social media to engage with male-dominated securitization practices in Israel. With a systematic discursive analysis of over 1,000 posts on a closed WhatsApp group for armed Israeli women, we demonstrate, how these women are able to critique the traditionally masculine framing of Israeli security culture and reimagine their roles as protectors in both family and public spheres. Theoretically we argue how WhatsApp functions as a modern form of feminist consciousness-raising, where Israeli women discuss the challenges of carrying firearms in a security system that often marginalizes or overlooks their own presence. By leveraging WhatsApp’s unique affordances, these women not only critique Israel’s masculine security structures but also actively redefine the boundaries of gendered citizenship in a security climate marked by harsh ongoing violence. By doing so, these women simultaneously participate in and challenge dominant security discourses.