Narratives of Doubly Marginalized Women: Interstitial Stigma and Mixed Migration Marriages in a Conflict Zone

Proposing the concept of “interstitial stigma” - a devalued status rooted in simultaneous rejection from the two societies to which persons with mixed affiliation or identity may belong – this article examines the narratives of Israeli Jewish women who migrated to their Arab/Palestinian intimate male partner’s home and community, in Israel or the Palestinian territories – two conflict zones. Reflecting on the stigmatization faced by women in mixed relationships who reside in conflict zones, the study delves into the impact of prolonged violent political conflict on women’s sense of belonging, precarity, and entrapment when intimate partners’ social identities are tied to opposing sides of the conflict. . The database consists of 43 narratives describing the hardships, challenges, and dilemmas the women encountered in both their natal and adopted communities; the patriarchal – and social identity-related marginalization and insecurity they experienced in Jewish and Arab communities; and the impact of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the women’s familial and community relations. The article concludes with consideration of the broader applicability of the concept of interstitial stigma beyond the marriage migration and Israeli-Palestinian contexts addressed in this article.