Jerusalem, Israel – As the world observes Sexual Assault Awareness Month, nonprofit organization CyberWell has released a report shedding light on the disturbing phenomenon of online denial surrounding the sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas on October 7.
According to CyberWell, despite overwhelming evidence of the atrocities committed by Hamas terrorists, extremists online are actively denying the reality of these crimes and spreading a false narrative. The organization explains that this denial not only seeks to rewrite history but also aims to shift sympathy away from the victims towards justification and celebration of the attackers.
The report highlights how Hamas deliberately used sexual violence and rape as weapons to terrorize, torture, and humiliate women and girls. This horrific tactic was employed during the invasion of Israeli borders on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of over 1200 people and the kidnapping of more than 250 individuals.
One of the narratives identified by CyberWell is the claim that no survivor of the October 7 attacks has come forward. However, this narrative has been debunked, as former Gaza hostage Amit Soussana bravely shared her harrowing experience of sexual violence and physical abuse endured in Hamas captivity. Additionally, evidence from the bodies of victims and testimonies from witnesses further corroborate the presence of sexual violence during the attacks.
The report also addresses various narratives used to deny the sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas, including accusations that witnesses are lying, claims that Israel is fabricating reasons to invade Gaza, arguments based on religious ideology, and allegations that Israel itself committed sexual violence.
CyberWell’s findings reveal that a significant portion of the denial content is hosted on popular social media platforms, including Elon Musk’s X platform, Meta’s Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. The report emphasizes how denying the atrocities of October 7 reinforces rape culture and perpetuates the oppression of women, urging social media platforms to take more proactive measures in moderating content that denies or promotes sexual violence.
Founder and executive director of CyberWell, Tal-Or Cohen Montemayor, emphasizes the need for these platforms to address the issue of rape denial more effectively, as it not only perpetuates trauma for survivors but also contributes to the broader issue of societal attitudes towards sexual violence. The report calls for a collective effort to demand better moderation of content that denies or glorifies sexual violence on social media platforms.