Rape motivated by nationalism is terrorism, Israeli MK says - opinion

The October 7 massacre shattered our preconceptions and reminded us of the grim reality we live in and the threats surrounding us. One of the many illusions that burst was that of the war crimes of rape and brutal sexual assaults of women just because they were Israeli.

These horrific acts are not committed by terrorists because they were sexual deviants, but rather because they wanted to humiliate our nation and degrade women by treating them as spoils of war.

I successfully passed a law in the previous Knesset session on July 30, defining sexual assault motivated by nationalism as an act of terrorism. This acknowledges that our enemies will stop at nothing in their war against us. 

The law applies regardless of whether the assailant is Arab or Jewish and focuses on acts committed on nationalistic grounds, where a member of one nationality sexually assaults a member of another nationality in the context of a nationalist conflict between them.

It is important to note that this law does not condone suicide, nor have I heard of any instances where a Jew has raped an Arab as an act of nationalism. However, there have been numerous cases of Jewish women being harassed and sexually abused by Arabs, who were clearly acting out of hostility.

Denying the existence of sexual terrorism

Critics of the law accused it of being racist and denied the existence of sexual terrorism. In response, I presented a resolution from the UN Security Council in June 2008, which recognizes that sexual assault perpetrated by one nationality against another in a conflict zone can be considered a war crime, a crime against humanity, or even an act of genocide.

Throughout history, dating back to biblical times, women have been subjected to harm and their bodies treated as spoils of war, much like the horrifying events of the October 7 massacre.

Those who fought the law, including social activists and fellow Knesset members, argued that rape is rape, which I do not mean to disregard. However but it should be acknowledged that terrorism comes in various forms, including murder, kidnapping, house burning, robbery, psychological terrorism, and nationalistically-motivated sexual assault, which includes rape.

Since the October 7 massacre, the United Nations and international women's organizations have failed to address the distressing phenomenon of Hamas terrorists' acts of rape and sexual assault against Jewish women in this horrific attack. 

However, until just two months ago, there were even people in Israel who denied the existence of rape motivated by nationalism, so it is unrealistic to expect the world to recognize it. We must educate the world about what happened here - because this can happen anywhere.

The bubble has burst, and reality can't just go back to what it was before that fateful Saturday. The law that defines nationalistically-motivated sexual assault as an act of terrorism has gained new significance following the national tragedy we endured.

As a representative of the Israeli public, it is my duty to utilize all available means to combat terrorism in all its forms. Regrettably, the devastating event our country experienced has forced many to face the reality that the war on terror extends beyond conventional boundaries and touches on sensitive nerves we were previously hesitant to acknowledge.

The author is a politician serving as a member of the Knesset as part of the the Yisrael Beytenu Party.