AJC Transatlantic Institute and Partners Organize Event Series on Sexual Violence in the October 7 Attack

From March 19-20 the AJC Transatlantic Institute hosted Israeli experts Orit Sulitzeanu, CEO of the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel, and Professor Yifat Bitton, President of Achva Academic College and legal academic and activist for gender equality, for a series of briefings during which they addressed over 100  lawmakers, diplomats  and opinionmakers on Hamas’s use of sexual and gender-based violence in the October 7 massacre. 

On March 19, TAI together with the Israeli Mission to the EU and NATO, the European Jewish Congress, the World Jewish Congress, ELNET and B’nai Brith hosted the two experts for a conference in the European Parliament which was co-chaired by European Parliament Vice-President Pina Picierno (S&D, Italy), MEP Monika Hohlmeier (EPP, Germany), MEP Ilana Cicurel (Renew Europe, France), MEP Assita Kanko (ECR, Belgium) and MEP Katrin Langensiepen (Greens/EFA, Germany) and attended by dozens of Parliamentarians, parliamentary staffers and journalists. The MEPs all expressed their disappointment in the international community and specifically in EU High Representative Josep Borrell for not sufficiently condemning Hamas’ use of sexual violence during the October 7 massacre. 

The next day TAI and its partners hosted Professor Bitton in conversation with Viviane Teitelbaum, member of the Brussels regional parliament, before an audience of diplomats and opinion makers.  Former hostages Raz Ben Ami and Aviva Siegel, whose husbands are still held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, added their testimonies. 

Furthermore, TAI organized a series of closed-door briefings for diplomats dealing with foreign policy and the Middle East. 

During the briefings Orit Sulitzeau summarized the report her organization had published after investigating Hamas’ use of sexual and gender-based violence during the October 7 massacres. She highlighted the fact that Hamas engaged in brutal and sadistic sexual violence in an organized manner and that the same acts had been perpetrated at various locations leaving no doubt that Hamas terrorists had been ordered by their commanders to engage in these crimes. Professor Yifat Bitton pointed out that there was more than sufficient evidence to regard Hamas’ use of sexual and gender-based violence as proven and that it was necessary for the international community to condemn it.