Why We Must Speak Up about the October 7 Sexual Violence

By Dr. Susan Michael, ICEJ USA President 

What happened over a year ago, on October 7, 2023, forever altered the lives of Israelis and Jewish people around the world.

Israel was still reeling from the horrific events of that dark day and grappling with the stories surfacing of dark and brutal sexual violence perpetrated on innocents when the world pivoted against them, denying it ever happened. That mantra continues today as the antisemitic, pro-Hamas populace continues to dismiss claims of rape and sexual violence as propaganda.

The silence of women’s rights and human rights organizations is appalling. This despite documentaries like We Will Dance Again, told exclusively from the point of view of those who attended the Nova festival and experienced, saw, and heard women being raped, and Screams before Silence, a film of accounts from released hostages, survivors, and first responders.

Their testimonies are macabre. Yet what happened has received little scrutiny from human rights groups and international organizations. Even leading figures in politics, academia, and media have minimized or denied that they occurred.

Through the Lens of the Holocaust

To wrap our brains around this, we must first consider the Holocaust, which, to this day, many deny ever happened, or that if it did, it wasn’t as severe as people claim—even though it is the best-documented genocide in history. Both denial of the Holocaust and denial of the sexual violence committed on October 7 are forms of antisemitism.

One activist writer, Anthony Remis, believes we are witnessing the next evolution of Holocaust denialism. He posits that anyone who argues October 7 wasn’t as bad as witnesses claim or that the sexual violence survivors experienced, saw, or heard never happened at all must have a preconceived notion. It likely means they have questionable opinions on the Holocaust that frame their opinions about that “Black Shabbat.”

For deniers to be right, someone must be wrong—and regarding October 7, the facts aren’t on the denier’s side. Karim Khan, the prosecutor for the International Criminal Court (ICC), said three key Hamas leaders bore responsibility for the “rape and other acts of sexual violence as crimes against humanity” that occurred that day. Even the United Nations has presented credible evidence that Hamas militants committed sexual assault during their rampage. These are just two examples.

The Eighth Front of the War

Sadly, the voices of pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel protestors on college campuses and across social media have been loud. They not only deny the brutality of the October 7 attack but celebrate it. For the growing number of people who rely on social media for news and education and continually absorb the lies, those lies become their truth. This battle for truth could be considered the “eighth front” of Israel’s already seven-front war against her enemies.

Denying the rape that occurred on October 7 and while the hostages have been captive in Gaza implies that the evidence and eyewitness testimony is fake or made up—even though the perpetrators themselves admitted to it when interrogated on camera after their arrest. A quick YouTube search will affirm this.

What are Christians to do? Do we let these views slide to a place of truth in history?

Conclusion

Hamas weaponized rape as a weapon of war—this is true and unarguable. To call it anything else, or as pro-Palestinians say, “legitimate resistance,” is denial and nothing less and no different than denying the most extensive genocide in history, the Holocaust.

As Christians, we must continue to stand and speak up against these lies and coverups in the name of what is right, good, and true—and not allow what happened on October 7 ever to be called less than what it is: a crime against humanity.

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