Avi Benlolo: UN is disturbingly ambivalent about the rape of Israeli women

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Human rights are women’s rights. International Women’s Day serves as a celebration of the rights, freedoms, and aspirations for equality held by all women. However, a disturbing exception emerged for Jewish women in the aftermath of the rapes and mutilations perpetrated by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.

The atrocities committed against young Jewish women, particularly at the Nova Music Festival, the adjacent highway (as they fled or hid), and at the nearby village (a Kibbutz) called Be’eri, represented the epitome of evil. The denial of these crimes provoked international campaigns, compelling Jewish women to re-enact the travesty in American cities, simply to get the attention of the world to recognize this truth.

Nearly six months after this tragic day, one of the most barbaric attacks since the Holocaust, the UN’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, having spent two weeks in Israel, finally released a scathing report on the heinous sexual crimes committed by Hamas against Israeli women on Oct. 7 and the days following, as hostages in Gaza.

I am one of those critics who argues that the response from the UN is deemed too little too late. UN Women, a United Nations organization, failed to condemn the sexual assaults in the weeks and months following the attack. Notably, the organization has yet to incorporate Patten’s report on Jewish rapes into its website, despite acknowledging the toll on women in Gaza. The unsettling exclusion of Jewish women by UN Women raises concerns about the organization’s commitment to addressing all instances of sexual violence impartially.

Still, the UN’s press conference on the report’s findings, is crucial for highlighting the sexual violence experienced by Israeli women. However, it’s release should have coincided with International Women’s Day. Instead, it occurred several days earlier, with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, instrumental in condemning Israel even days after the Hamas assault, notably absent.

By withholding the report’s findings on International Women’s Day, the United Nations once again downplayed the atrocities against Jewish women, perpetuating a double victimization of the rapes by not adequately acknowledging their plight. It’s no wonder that Patten’s press conference saw sparse attendance.

Nevertheless, Patten’s findings, powerful and significant, deserved attention. Her team’s investigation revealed instances of rape and gang rape at the three locations, with victims subjected to sexual violence before their tragic deaths.

A concerning pattern of organized, systematic, and premeditated sexual violence across multiple locations was identified, indicative of intent and possible training by Hamas to weaponize sexual violence as part of its assault — a clear war crime. Victims were found either fully or partially undressed, bound, and shot, with evidence of sexualized torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment.

Patten highlighted severe violations at the Nova Music Festival site, including brutal mass murders, with several hundred bodies recovered and numerous abductions reported. Sexual violence was also committed against Israeli women taken hostage by Hamas to Gaza, where 134 Israelis, many of them young women, remain captive. Families continue to plead for their release, fearing sexual abuse by their captors.

Due to justified distrust in Israelis towards the United Nations, Patten couldn’t interview rape survivors. Jewish women and Israel, however, do not require validation from Patten or a biased UN organization to recognize the atrocities. The UN General Assembly has yet to condemn Hamas for these heinous crimes.

Despite the shameful silence of women’s groups in the international community, Jewish women in Israel are reclaiming their voices. Recently, thousands joined together to sing “I am Titanium,” defiantly standing up for each other, their daughters, and their families. They embody a beacon of hope, resilience, and strength for those who truly and honestly celebrate International Women’s Day.

Avi Benlolo is the founder and CEO of The Abraham Global Peace Initiative