An Israeli lawyer’s fabrication and the exploitation of trauma
An Israeli lawyer who was found to have fabricated accounts of Hamas’ rape on October 7th has recently won Israel’s most prestigious award, according to Middle East Monitor and agencies on March 28th.
Israeli lawyer Cochav Elkayam-Levy has been embroiled in a scandal following claims by Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth that she fabricated accounts of rape committed by Hamas on October 7th. The newspaper also accused the lawyer of committing “fraud, and scamming donors” over her creation of a false Commission purportedly investigating evidence of rape.
The expose comes after the Israeli Ministry of Education awarded the Israel Prize to Dr Elkayam-Levy on March 21st, winning the “Solidarity” prize.
A lawyer and political science lecturer at the Hebrew University, Education Minister Yoav Kisch praised her work “in the international arena to expose the atrocities of Hamas,” as “a crucial pillar in our ongoing struggle for justice and in our efforts to confront the perpetrator.”
Elkayam-Levy founded the “Civil Commission on October 7th Crimes by Hamas against Women and Children”. The Commission gathered information that was used by big-media outlets, such as the New York Times and CNN.
However, government officials have expressed concerns regarding the accuracy of Elkayam-Levy’s research, distancing themselves from her methods they have critiqued as flawed. Elkayam-Levy notably shared the story of Hamas cutting a pregnant Israeli woman’s belly, that was later proven untrue – but not before it went viral. She also misrepresented images of dead Kurdish fighters as Israeli October 7th victims.
This episode comes against a broader backdrop where Israeli political figures have been accused of manipulating the – let’s be clear – genuine trauma of victims for political leverage. This commodification of victims’ stories has been used as a tool to silence cries and severe human rights abuses from Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza.
This use of injustice to legitimise further injustice was illustrated in comments made by Israeli Foreign Minister, Eli Cohen, immediately following October 7th where he said, “Tell me, what is a proportionate response for killing of babies, for rape of women and burning them, for beheading a child? How can you agree to a ceasefire with someone who swore to kill and destroy your own existence?”
READ: Daoud Kuttab: West should not have believed Israel over UNRWA
Such actions fuelled the already widespread denial of rape and sexual violence committed against Israeli women in the aftermath of Hamas’ attacks on October 7th.
But a United Nations (UN) investigation earlier this month, has recently found “clear and convincing information” indicating that Hamas has raped and tortured Israeli hostages, with concerns that this violence is ongoing for the Israeli hostages who remain in Hamas’ captivity.
Elkayam-Levy appears to have used this genuine trauma for her own material gain.
According to Israeli news outlet, Ynet, she has misappropriated donors’ funds intended for her alleged investigation into Hamas’ crimes, where apparently $1.5 million was needed for “management and administration”. A further $8 million remains unaccounted for.
Hordes of people donated to her “Commission”, including the US ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel.
But the commission has since been reported as non-existent by sources including Ynet and Israeli journalist, Raviv Drucker.
A government official to Ynet disclosed, “And to the question of is there such a thing at all? Is there such a body? The answer is: no. She is the body. She is this civil commission.”
This was backed up by Israeli journalist, Raviv Drucker, who said “The commission is her. And she is the commission,” adding that “she authored the Horrors Report […] But then we realise that there is no Horrors Report. There is simply no such report. It hasn’t been written, not by her and not by anyone”.
But amidst debates over the sexual violence committed by Hamas, Gazan women’s vulnerability to sexual and gender-based violence has also remained neglected.
Recent allegations from Gaza have come to light, detailing Palestinian women’s subjection to humiliation by Israeli troops.
Inas, a 28-year-old from Gaza who was detained following in December, detailed how she was taken to a Military Camp and then strip-searched by female soldiers. During the night, wet blankets were thrown over the women. As soldiers interrogated her regarding the location of tunnels, she maintained she had nothing to do with Hamas.
“If you don’t say what you know, we will tell 10 people to rape you,” a soldier threatened her.
READ: “Mentally devastated” Gazan woman opens up about imprisonment
Inas’ experience highlights the wider vulnerability faced by Gazan women following October 7th.
Women’s rights groups have recently voiced concerns regarding the lack of feminine hygiene products permitted by Israel to enter Gaza, with the World Health Organization (WHO) estimating that 52,000 pregnant women are in danger during Israel’s assault on Gaza. The Israeli government has also recently tried to return pregnant women, receiving treatment in Israeli hospitals, back to the besieged strip.
Dr Elkayam-Levy’s fabrication serves as a stark reminder of the exploitation of real suffering for personal gain. It is a distressing reality that both Palestinian and Israeli women’s very real experiences of sexual violence continue to be pitted against each other. The media storm, discrediting accounts of rape depending on whose political narrative it fits into, remains another tool of oppression for women.
Middle East Monitor / Agencies
