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Humanity

To mark IWD without acknowledging these women and calling for their release and that of all the hostages, is to do them a grave disservice.

By AJN STAFF March 7, 2024, 11:46 am Edit
Protestors gather outside the UN headquarters in New York City on December 4, 2023, to protest the international community's perceived silence on sexual violence committed by Hamas terrorists against Israeli women during the October 7 massacre. (Carli Fogel)
Protestors gather outside the UN headquarters in New York City on December 4, 2023, to protest the international community's perceived silence on sexual violence committed by Hamas terrorists against Israeli women during the October 7 massacre. (Carli Fogel)

There is no promoting and celebrating the rights of women worldwide this International Women’s Day (IWD) without thinking of those Israeli women who are currently being denied any rights at all.

Nineteen remain captive by Hamas after being kidnapped during the terrorist group’s murderous rampage through southern Israel on October 7.

They include university student Noa Argamani, kidnapped from the Nova festival at which 364 partygoers were slaughtered in cold blood and many others raped. Her mother Liora, who is battling stage four brain cancer, doesn’t know how much time she has left and desperately wishes to see her daughter one last time.

Also taken from the Nova Festival was Amit Buskila, a fashion stylist with thousands followers on social media who turned 28 in captivity. Other women include 20-year-old Agam Berger, a talented violinist who passed on a message to her mother via a released hostage for her birthday.

Occupational therapist Carmel Gat was seen doing yoga with kidnapped children in Gaza, other hostages who were released said.

Shiri Bibas remains captive along with her young children, four-year-old Ariel and one-year-old Kfir. Her husband is being held separately.

And who can forget the harrowing images of 19-year-old Naama Levy being manhandled from a Jeep by terrorists, hands bound and her sweatpants stained with blood. According to her mother Ayelet, Naama “truly believes in the good of all people”.

These and other women have been held in heinous conditions for over 150 days. We know from the testimonies of freed hostages that at least some of the women in captivity have been subject to sexual abuse.

At least the UN has finally acknowledged after five months what we have known all along, and what it would have acknowledged immediately had the victims been anyone other than Israelis or Jews.

To mark IWD without acknowledging these women and calling for their release and that of all the hostages, is to do them a grave disservice.

So-called feminists who ignore or worse still mock their plight are not feminists at all.

This has nothing to do with politics or narratives, with the Israelis or the Palestinians.

It has everything to do with humanity.

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