NEW YORK, NY (Press Release) —Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America; The Hadassah Foundation; Jewish Women International and the National Council of Jewish Women; along with 56 additional concerned organizations, sent a letter on Friday, Jan. 5, to United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres demanding the UN conduct an independent, complete, unbiased investigation into the reports and documented evidence of Hamas’ rape, mutilation, gender-based violence and murder of Israeli women and girls, and pursue vigorous prosecution to hold Hamas terrorists accountable. The coalition also called for the UN to demand that Hamas release the hostages it continues to hold, including women and girls, especially in light of evidence showing continued torture and abuse.
Said Hadassah National President Carol Ann Schwartz and Hadassah CEO Naomi Adler: “We at Hadassah are deeply concerned to see the Commission of Inquiry, a body with a long and clear record of antisemitism and bias against Israel, assert a role in investigating the sexual violence against Israeli women committed by Hamas on October 7. If the UN is serious about justice for victims, it must call for an independent, unbiased and impartial investigation and pursue a vigorous prosecution to hold Hamas accountable.”
“The delay by the UN and UN Women has cost us crucial time,” said Hadassah Foundation Board Chair Audrey Weiner and Director Stephanie Blumenkranz. “To begin to restore the trust of people everywhere who condemn all acts of rape and sexual violence, we ask that the UN establish an independent and impartial investigation into these crimes to ensure justice for Israeli women and girls.”
“There is abundant evidence that Hamas and other terrorists committed horrifying acts of sexual violence on October 7,” said Jewish Women International CEO Meredith Jacobs. “However, these atrocious acts cannot be properly investigated by the Commission of Inquiry, with its long and clear track record of antisemitism and bias. The UN and UN Women should do everything in their power to ensure a complete, unbiased, trauma-informed investigation.”
“So far, the UN’s response to Hamas’s torture, mutilation, rape, and murder of Israelis on October 7 has been delayed and tepid — and they now have an opportunity to do better. We demand the UN and UN Women live up to their international responsibility to ensure the gender-based war crimes from October 7 are properly investigated in an unbiased way, and that rape is never again used as a tool of war,” said National Council of Jewish Women CEO Sheila Katz.
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Preceding provided by Hadassah