From Mainstream to Social Media: The Kidnapped Yemeni Babies Affair in Israel and the Fight for Memory and Justice

Abstract

This essay analyses the racial constructs and discursive webs that justified the separation of babies from their families, with reference to the Kidnapped Babies Affair in Israel. The discourse of hygiene and the view of Yemenite Jews as ‘Others,’ as articulated by David Ben-Gurion and other Ashkenazi Zionist leaders of Israel, are especially highlighted. The article contrasts mainstream-media framing practices with the dominance of new digital narratives. While the emergence of social media grants agency to previously silenced victims, I argue that the attitude of the Israeli state remains a major force in the ongoing Israeli official rejection of this story. Despite a breakthrough in the public perception of this narrative, the road to full transparency and justice remains elusive.