New frontiers of parenthood: Sperm smuggling, IVF, and gender roles in Palestine

Abstract

This article engages with the public discourse surrounding sperm smuggling in Palestine to analyze the social, political and ethical implications of this novel practice in contemporary Palestine and the emergence of gender scenarios that undermine the Palestinian construction of gender roles. Sperm smuggling, which enables Palestinian prisoners to crown their masculinity and manhood, undermines the Israeli carceral and surveillance systems that attempt to castrate Palestinian security prisoners biologically and politically. Sperm smuggling and in-vitro fertilization enable wives of Palestinian prisoners to take the masculine roles of the active speaking and writing subjects who publicize their stories and those of their imprisoned husbands. Furthermore, sperm smuggling enables marriage by proxy and gives an opportunity to single women to construct family and conceive children. Furthermore, the article sheds light on the controversy surrounding sperm smuggling and the suspicion raised by Israelis and Arabs on this practice through the discussion of the film Amira.