WARNING: This article contains mature content relating to sexual violence. Reader discretion is advised.
In September 2012, Steven Pinker released his New York Times bestseller “Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined”. The book presents a compelling argument for the decline of violence, particularly sexual violence, through various historical trends in war. The effect on readers, well, did exactly what the title intended to, to convince the reader that sexual violence against women during warfare had declined and to convince that we have evolved into the embodiment of our more benevolent state and that we have indeed become, the better angels of our nature.
One reviewer’s comment: “The world is not as sad or as bad as expected,” seems to summarise the general reception of the book, resembling utopian liberalism steeped in unfounded, blind optimism. Yet the author critically overlooks the evolution of modern sexual violence used against women in warfare and lacks a proper interpretation of historical data. If Pinker had done his research thoroughly and not relied too heavily upon sociological and psychological interpretations, it would have revealed an unprecedented level of cruelty towards women in contemporary warfare.
While I do not usually identify as a feminist, the disproportionate violence against women, especially during warfare, is a glaring humanitarian issue. In such conflicts, the dominating and forceful nature of men often renders women helpless victims of horrific and atrocious forms of sexual violence.
Current events in Ukraine have brought numerous allegations of sexual violence, rape, torture, extortion, and sex trafficking to light, including the trafficking of minors. In Nigeria, the notoriously brutal Boko Haram (an Islamic Jihad militia organisation) uses sexual violence as a strategy of domination, including forcefully impregnating captives. The ongoing conflict in Syria has revealed that government forces and associated militias have raped thousands of women and children. ISIS committed particularly savage acts of sexual violence against women and girls during their insurgency in Iraq. By Islamic law, the women were concubines and the spoils of jihad. ISIS is said to have perpetrated acts including kidnapping, rape, torture, forced impregnation, sex slavery, forced marriages and child marriages.
The 7 October massacre in Israel tells no different story. Terrifying and barbarous accounts of the violent acts against women are being shared as both survivors and recently released hostages speak out. These include allegations of genital mutilation, sodomy, rape, gang rape, and claims from witnesses that acts against women continued even post-mortem. Yet, this isn’t the worst of it. Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists filmed these atrocious acts and gleefully committed these acts as they shared them with the whole world. I’m sure you’ve seen some of them circulating online.
Personally, tears had welled in my eyes, and a knot had formed in my throat when I first saw the now worldwide viral video of 19-year-old Naama Levy being forcefully handled by Hamas terrorists into the back of a vehicle, her face battered and the back of her pants drenched in blood.
Enter the Me Too movement, originally founded to bring attention to the issue of sexual harassment and abuse of women in the workplace. The movement gained international attention when allegations were made against American film producer Harvey Weinstein. From there, the movement grew with incredible momentum with the support of celebrities, politicians, prominent organisations and heavily financed social media campaigns. They mounted smear campaigns against United States Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh for (now) unsubstantiated claims of rape and pressured Donald Trump for sexist comments. The Me Too movement is by far the most well-known women’s rights organisation in the world.
Similarly, sexual violence against women became a point of focus for the United Nations (UN) with the adoption of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 in October 2000 and the creation of UN Women in July 2010. The organisation was created to address the impact of armed conflict on women and to recognise the need to protect women from gender-based violence during times of conflict. This marked a significant acknowledgment of women’s unique challenges and vulnerabilities in conflict situations and the importance of their participation in conflict resolution and peacebuilding.
One would think that either of these women’s oriented organisations would be at the forefront of condemning the vile acts of Hamas terrorists against women and girls on 7 October. Unfortunately not. Me Too released a statement claiming that they condemn all acts of sexual violence committed against all women, “including Israeli women,” yet then proceeded not to mention them again but instead shifted focus to other conflict zones, particularly Gaza. Comparably, UN women took a good 50 days after the 7 Oct. massacre before it released a statement condemning the acts committed against Israeli and Jewish women by Hamas terrorists. The statement perhaps would have had more of an impact if not for the 50 days between the massacre and the release of the statement; they hadn’t released numerous articles on gender-based violence affecting women in Gaza—omitting any mention of Israeli women.
For Israeli and Jewish women, the silence is deafening. For a minority group that has endured thousands of years of persecution, belligerency, ostracism and ultimately genocide, perhaps it is not surprising that the global response remains consistent with historical patterns. This time, however, the world cannot claim that they were uninformed and, therefore, unaware of these atrocious and heinous acts of sexual acts committed against Jewish women. The despicable terrorists filmed the acts and dispersed the materials themselves, providing overwhelming evidence proving violations of human rights and war crimes. Yet those with the ability to prosecute these individuals for these acts remain silent.
Feminists and women’s organisations globally continue to proclaim the “Me Too” mantra. Of course, if anything has been made evident since the horrific acts of sexual violence committed against women and girls on 7 October, that mantra doesn’t mean anything for Jewish women.
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