Jewish groups urge Knesset to press UN on Hamas sexual crimes

The UN has yet to list Hamas as a party accused of committing rape in armed conflict or hold the terrorist organization accountable for these crimes against humanity.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

A delegation of Jewish groups urged the Knesset to pressure the UN to hold Hamas accountable for its sexual crimes committed since October 7th, 2023.

The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations addressed a special Knesset session on Monday.

Carol Ann Schwartz, National President of World Hadassah, highlighted the global effort to seek justice for victims of Hamas’s sexual violence.

“We were outraged by Hamas’ brutal October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the reports of widespread weaponization of sexual violence,” she said.

“Over the past year, the war has deeply affected women in personal ways. We met with UN leaders and mobilized over 150,000 grassroots signatures from nearly 120 countries, in addition to collaborating with 120 organizations, to demand that the United Nations take action and hold Hamas accountable.”

She continued, “The UN has yet to list Hamas as a party accused of committing rape in armed conflict or hold the terrorist organization accountable for these crimes against humanity. We will not give up. Sexual violence in conflict is increasing worldwide, and accountability is crucial to preventing future atrocities.”

Meredith Jacobs, CEO of Jewish Women International and Co-Founder, spoke about the profound impact sexual violence has on women and how Israelis and Jewish women are being excluded from the conversation, especially on college campuses.

“The effects of dehumanization, objectification, and hate are playing out on our campuses and beyond. Jewish survivors of sexual violence no longer feel safe seeking help from mainstream agencies,” she said.

“Those of us in the field have lost colleagues, and women’s studies programs at universities across the United States are teaching that Israel is weaponizing feminism and that Zionists are not to be trusted.”

Sheila Katz, CEO of the National Council of Jewish Women, emphasized the urgency of breaking the silence surrounding Hamas’ crimes: “Rape is a violation of humanity. It must never be normalized—not in our cities, not on our campuses, and not as a weapon of war. But silence, in itself, normalizes rape.”