Rally planned outside Times headquarters to denounce “degrading reporting” of October 7 rapes

Supporters of Israel are expected to attend a rally in front of the Just to protest against media coverage of the sexual violence on 7 October at the headquarters in central London.

The “She Could Be You” rally was organized to mark the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict and follows the publication of a Just Article that appeared to question the evidence of the October 7 rape and other sexual abuse.

Orit Eyal-Fibeesh of the 7/10 Human Chain, one of the rally organizers, said: “This article is part of a disturbing trend of denying the well-documented atrocities and horrors committed against Israeli civilians, especially women and girls.”

The aim of tomorrow’s protest was to “denounce the condescending coverage of credible reports of rape and sexual assault of Israeli hostages by Hamas militants in the mainstream media and social media, which continue to ignore, question or doubt the causes. We refuse to remain silent about these heinous acts of gender-based violence.”

In a joint statement following the article’s publication, interviewees Professor Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, Orit Sulitzeanu and Dr. Sarai Aharoni, who work with victims of sexual violence, said they were “shocked and disappointed” by the article.

They added: “It is our duty to ensure that the full extent of what happened is recognised. The use of sexual violence as a weapon of war was an essential part of the October 7 attack.”

“The denial of evidence of this violence has become a disturbing aspect of the global pro-Palestinian discourse and has a negative impact on the well-being of massacre survivors and other victims of sexual violence.”

Hostage survivors and others have given detailed testimonies about the rape, sexual assault, abuse and threats they suffered at the hands of Hamas captors. Medical examinations by organizations such as Physicians for Human Rights Israel have confirmed their accounts.

The UN Special Envoy for Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, released a report in March stating that there was “clear and convincing information that some (hostages) were subjected to various forms of conflict-related sexual violence, including rape and sexual torture.”

In a statement ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said: “Conflict-related sexual violence is a devastating form of attack and oppression that has lasting, damaging effects on the physical, sexual, reproductive and mental health of survivors and destroys the social fabric of communities.”

“Despite widespread awareness and condemnation, this grotesque crime continues around the world. Over the past year, there have been horrifying reports of sexual violence from Sudan to Haiti to Israel. Far too often, perpetrators walk free while survivors spend their entire lives in recovery.”

The UN had previously been criticized for not initially condemning the sexual violence of October 7.

The rally will take place on June 19th at 12 noon.