Feminism, rape, and Israel. Content warning.

[ArthurbellaScott]

https://unherd.com/2023/11/metoo-unless-youre-a-jew/

I skipped parts of this article, specifically the first person account.

The rest of it I think is an important read.

Ive been wondering wtf was going on with UN response for some time.

How fucking horrific.

Can you provide some kind of link/further information for this?

Esma, that’s horrific. As RebelliousCow asks, can you reference that please?

https://freebeacon.com/latest-news/unrwa-teacher-held-israeli-hostage-in-attic-for-almost-50-days-report/

https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-775777

I don't know anything about either of these sites/papers/sources.

And: https://unwatch.org/unrwa-obstacle-to-peace/

The politicisation of people that are (supposed to be) neutral isn’t news.
Some Irish-born RC Priests colluded with the hiding of weapons and men during the ‘Troubles’ in NI, for instance. It wasn’t church doctrine, but they did it anyway.

It shouldn’t be surprising that a UN employed (probably locally born) teacher would sympathise with Hamas / the Palestinian ‘cause.’ It doesn’t mean that the UN, as an institution, approves.

The UN seems about as moral as Oxfam in this conflict. I'd be interested to see what they say about it, if anything

Yes. Seems very hard for anyone involved directly in the situation to be neutral. And I am sure the UN works with local people as a sensible way to engage.

However, this should mean they are extra rigorous in exercising impartiality higher up.

The RC church is hardly considered to be a neutral organisation.

Shit analogy.

@ArthurbellaScott no idea about freebeacon, never heard of it, but the Jerusalem Post is a very well established and read newspaper, and pretty reliable. I just looked it up and it dates back to 1932!

Neutral in that it doesn’t habitually hide weapons and explosives (or hostages) on behalf of terrorist organisations. Neutral in that its (recent) doctrine is not to prosecute wars or support violence.

The UN has never been truly politically neutral either, nor could it, given the way it’s constituted. But, like the priests, their doctrine doesn’t include local staff actively assisting acts of violence.

I’m happy with the analogy, but thanks so much for your critique.

Supporting the Palestinian cause is one thing. Colluding with a murderous terrorist organisation is something else.

I mean taking ANY human being hostage at ANY TIME is pretty horrendous, criminal in several ways and far, far beyond what I'd consider 'sympathising' with any one side.

That's an excoriating article from Brendan O'Neill.

He doesn't like LOJ very much.

The real hypocrisy of Owen Jones shows up in his response to the Orlando bombing of a gay club.
https://twitter.com/daziff/status/1729988336482198006?t=iKeQiPAbMhOQyLy3a4o9eA&s=19

He stormed out because there was a suggestion there wasn't any evidence it was a homphobic attack. We still don't know what the motivation was but Owen doesn't need evidence.

Someone mentioned the Red Cross upthread

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/11/30/the-red-cross-has-turned-its-back-on-israel/

https://archive.ph/NlI4l archive link

Brilliant by Brendan O'Neill. This bit really nails LoJ's women hatred:

"This is a man up to his neck in identitarian bollocks and trans mysticism. If a 6”5 bloke called Dave were to identify as a lesbian, Jones would believe him instantly. He would say Dave is literally a woman, and literally a lesbian, and only a bigot would say otherwise. Yet when he sees a real woman murdered and burnt and denuded of her underwear, suddenly he wants evidence. ‘Show the rape.’ What a lowlife."

God this really does get to the crux of OJ doesn’t it.
Why is he allowed anywhere near a tv/radio/newspaper with such deep routed misogyny?

https://twitter.com/missmayim/status/1728622257042567218

"There has been an abhorrent and conspicuous absence of women’s organizations around the world unequivocally condemning the systematic rape and torture of women on October 7 by Hamas. Brutal gang rapes, sexual torture, and murder of fetuses happened- period. Where are the “BELIEVE THEM” voices? These crimes against women were in many cases documented by the terrorists themselves and broadcast for the world to see. Those of us who have fought for women’s rights and have sought to shout from the rooftops when women’s bodies are being used in war for the sadistic pleasure of perpetrators are astounded at how the world has been silent surrounding this. The UN (U.N. Women - the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women) took 50 days to express “alarm”… First Lady of Israel Michal Herzog and Sheryl Sandberg have been trying to draw attention to this. Progressive feminists of the world: where are you?"

.

Thanks. Link to newsweek article, content warning, details of rape and violence:

https://www.newsweek.com/silence-international-bodies-over-hamas-mass-rapes-betrayal-all-women-opinion-1845783

And Cheryl Sandberg's piece. At last, that's a feminist whose name I recognise speaking up on this.

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/11/20/opinions/sheryl-sandberg-something-we-can-all-agree-on/index.html

Just read on Twitter that two child hostages; one Noya Dan who was autistic and another one in a wheelchair were killed as they were 'too much trouble ' for Hamas kidnappers...😭

The Guardian has finally got there, well one of the Opinion writers has

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/dec/01/israel-hamas-war-rape-israelis-palestinians

Although the first lines reads like the information on the rapes is only just emerging before later acknowledging it was there all along. I want LOJ and his ilk read it and have a think.

I don't know why the news of the children has shocked me. It's perhaps because I wouldn't expect hamas to just admit to their murder. More like them to blame Israeli bombs.

Thanks, cake.