The #MeToo movement, led by survivors, has started a global conversation about sexual violence, but there is an unsettling silence when it comes to the female victims of the October 7 attacks in Israel. Evidence including videos, photos, and eyewitness testimonies indicate that the victims of the terrorist attacks were subjected to sexual violence.
Due to the condition of the bodies and the ongoing investigation in an active combat zone, traditional rape investigation methods could not be utilized immediately following the attacks. However, circumstantial evidence and eyewitness accounts are strong enough to support charges of rape and other heinous crimes against the terrorists responsible.
Foreign journalists were invited to view and hear evidence of the atrocities, including brutal rapes, amputations, and beheadings. Some survivors have been hospitalized for psychiatric care, and IDF reservists present at the morgue have confirmed the extent of the sexual violence and brutality inflicted on the victims.
Despite this evidence, mainstream global organizations such as #MeToo and UN Women have remained silent, drawing attention to a newly formed movement advocating for the Israeli victims. The lack of support for the victims invalidates the global efforts to fight sexual violence and fails to acknowledge the suffering of the majority Jewish victims. The disheartening silence of these organizations is a stain on society, and a call to action has been made to speak up for the innocent victims and demand justice for the atrocities inflicted upon them.
