On Sunday, a CNN interview with Rep. Pramila Jayapal went viral when host Dana Bash criticized “progressive women” for their silence on the alleged rapes committed by members of Hamas during their horrific attack on Israel Oct. 7th. Jayapal called reports of rape “horrific.” But then she brought up the death count and destruction in Gaza.
"I think we have to be balanced about bringing in the outrages against Palestinians," said Jayapal.
To which Bash replied, "You don't see Israeli soldiers raping Palestinian women." OK. You don't “see it” in the CNN studio in Manhattan, no. Surely it’s never happened, then. In fact, there are multiple accounts of Palestinians suffering sexual assault in Israeli jails.
Freed prisoner Ramzi al-Absi vividly recounted the harrowing conditions endured by Palestinians at the Naqab prison, also in the south, dubbing it the “graveyard for the living.”
Al-Absi said prisoners were getting beaten and sexually assaulted by prison authorities.
“The detainees are being sexually assaulted, to the extent of rape. I’m not exaggerating. To the extent of rape,” he said.
Why doesn’t Bash unequivocally condemn that?
The United Nations is currently investigating sexual violence on October 7th. In the meantime, we have this second-hand account blasted all over the tabloids:
“I saw this beautiful woman with the face of an angel and eight or 10 of the fighters beating and raping her,” recalled Saadon, a foundry shift manager. “She was screaming, ‘Stop it already! I’m going to die anyway from what you are doing, just kill me!’
“When they finished, they were laughing, and the last one shot her in the head,” he said.
He also claimed he saw fighters behead a woman with a strike of a shovel and watching her head roll across the ground.
I don’t doubt that sexual violence occurred. Horrifically, it seems to happen in all war. Great job humanity. This is why it’s surprising that, Bash, a “journalist” just casually states as fact that IDF soldiers don’t commit rape.
But, sorry: the above account sounds like it comes from the 19th century about pure angelic white woman of Virtue defiled by The Savages.
“Savages” tweeted Bari Weiss on cue in response to the story.
Looks like we need more, not fewer, college classes about colonialism.
The exchange between Bash and Jayapal went viral and caused a massive pushback on social media, where prominent supporters of Israel claimed Jayapal downplayed rape as an instrument of war. The clip was presented as yet one more sign of the traitorous perfidy of “The Squad.”
“Rape is suddenly a very complicated issue for progressives!” gloated the writer Jon Levine in response.
“Even @DanaBashCNN seemed surprised to hear @RepJayapal not willing to condemn the brutal rape of Israeli women by Hamas terrorists, without "balancing" it with a condemnation of Israel. The absence of morality by the Squad should be obvious to everyone.” said another Twitter blue check.
Annnnd the ever-helpful AIPAC:
Israeli women were raped and mutilated, but @PramilaJayapal won't unequivocally condemn it because Israeli women were the victims. #MeToo, but "we have to be balanced" #BelieveWomen, "however" #NoExcuse, "but" This shouldn’t be hard, @RepJayapal : Hamas is wrong. Rape is wrong.
It’s been a whole mini news cycle. After she called it “horrific.” By the way, the only “evidence” that rape was top down Hamas directive is entirely based on prisoners “admitting” it during “interogation.”
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Dana Bash may be using some clever semantics here. The IDF is a well trained professional military. They are also busy fighting in urban combat. Probably minimal sexual assault. Not saying it doesn't happen, but good militaries tend to push violent abusers out, and many go on to become prison guards.
Prisons are a different story. Considering how bad sexual assault is in US prisons, I'm not surprised that Palestinian women suffer horribly in Israeli prisons. Dana Bash is skating by on the fact that the IDF isn't running the prison system.