"Recall that claims of 40 beheaded Israeli babies circulated in the fog of war. There is still no evidence. When the beheaded babies story started to fall apart, new top stories emerged, like the sexual assault allegations. Skepticism was justified, given the context."
December 5, 2023
I share the author's concern that accusations of sexual assault should be taken seriously. I also admit I was a skeptic of the early claims of widespread sexual assault during October 7. For good reason. It’s not because I don’t believe Israeli women and hold a particular prejudice against them. No, it’s because Israel (and its allies) have a track record of weaponizing false or misleading claims to justify subsequent war crimes. “Weapons of mass destruction” being the paragon.
Recall that claims of 40 beheaded Israeli babies circulated in the fog of war. There is still no evidence. When the beheaded babies story started to fall apart, new top stories emerged, like the sexual assault allegations. Skepticism was justified, given the context. The earliest allegations lacked forensic or video evidence and were supported by only a few witness statements.
All of that said, as time unfolds, the situation is changing. Reports like that of the Physicians for Human Rights–Israel create reason for a new perspective. More witnesses are coming forward. A non-partisan investigation should be carried out to help get us closer to the truth. Such an investigation should also look at the claims of recently freed Palestinian prisoners who reported instances of rape, torture, and collective punishment in Israeli prisons post-October 7, as reported by the Palestinian Prisoners Society.