close up on women touching hands with painted nails
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I had been preparing to write about Simchat Torah again. About the fact that this time I specifically invited (young) women so that my daughter and I would not be the only ones dancing with the Torah. But all of that was overshadowed. Overshadowed by the terrible events in Israel and it still seems unreal.

“Rockets are flying towards Israel” was the first statement I heard when I arrived at the synagogue on Saturday morning. And how terrible that it has now become so natural that it wasn’t surprising. But little by little I learned more. The extent was unimaginable. Sunday evening, after Havdalah, was filled with watching the news, contacting friends and family, and scrolling through videos and statements.

Everything was different. You couldn’t imagine something like that. The violence and brutality.

But the reactions in the media were also unexpected. Newspapers and news, which are often critical of Israel (to put it nicely), spoke clearly against Hamas’s actions. And showed open sympathy and concern for Israel.

But that’s not what I’m getting at. What shocked me were accounts that I followed because of their feminist, patriarchy-critical content. They speak out again and again about violence against women and children.These accounts are suddenly posting statements about Israel being responsible.

Is it possible that everything you said before is suddenly different when it comes to Jewish women and children? Where is the outcry about the rapes, kidnappings, violence? (International) participants in a peace festival are raped next to their dead friends and Israel is to blame? How can the person doing the violence not be at fault? What’s the difference between asking “What was she wearing?” and “Which country was she in?” or “What nationality/religion was she?”

It sounds a lot like “She had it coming” and I expect better from accounts that advocate for women.

One does not have to be a Zionist or approve of Israeli policies to condemn these crimes and call them out for what they are. Speaking out against terrorism does not mean that you approve of everything else.

Why is this suddenly so difficult for these account?

Because the victims are Jewish?

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