CNN anchor Dana Bash urged progressive congresswoman Pramilla Jayapal to condemn Hamas' barbaric use of sexual violence against Israeli women during the October 7 massacre.
Jayapal, a Washington state representative and member of the so-called “Squad,” said she had previously spoken out against Hamas' brutal crimes against women before returning to a talking point focused on Israel.
'I want to ask you about sexual violence, and it is quite remarkable that this issue has not received enough attention worldwide. Widespread use of rape, brutal rape and sexual violence against Israeli women by Hamas,” Bash said during a taping of CNN's State of the Union.
'I've seen a lot of progressive women. In general, they are quick to defend women's rights and speak out against the use of rape as a weapon of war, but downright silent about what we saw on October 7. And what could happen inside Gaza now to these hostages. Why is that?'
Jayapal replied, “I don't know if that's true. I think we always talk about the impact of war on women in particular,” stressing that she specifically condemned the actions of Hamas terrorists.
'But I don't think we should forget that Israel is a democracy. That is why they are a strong ally of ours,” Jayapal continued.
She continued, “And if they don't comply with international humanitarian law, they're putting themselves in a place that makes it strategically much more difficult for them to build allies, to engage public opinion, and frankly, morally, we can not saying that one war crime deserves another. That is not what international humanitarian law says.”
In October, Jayapal voted “present” on a House of Representatives resolution in support of Israel in the wake of the Hamas attacks.
She was previously forced to apologize after facing backlash for calling Israel's government “racist.”
In response to her comments on Sunday, Bash confronted Jayapal about her inability to stay on topic when discussing Hamas' sex crimes.
“With all due respect, I was just asking about the women, and you turned it back to Israel. I'm asking you about Hamas,” Bash said.
“I already answered your question, Dana,” the representative replied. “I said it's horrible, and I think rape is horrible. Sexual violence is terrible. I think this happens in war situations.
'Terrorist organizations like Hamas obviously use these as instruments. However, I think we need to be balanced when it comes to initiating the violence against the Palestinians. Israeli air strikes have killed fifteen thousand Palestinians, three-quarters of them women and children.'
“And it's horrible,” Bash said. “But you don't see Israeli soldiers raping Palestinian women.”
“I don't want this to become the hierarchy of oppression,” the congressman said. “This is not the way we are going to defeat terrorism.”
Images of Israeli 26-year-old Noa Argamani show her being abducted to Gaza on October 7
On the day that more than 1,200 Israelis were killed and hundreds kidnapped, radical Palestinian terrorists also indiscriminately used rape as a weapon of war against innocent Israeli women
Argamani is shown as a hostage in Gaza; she has not yet been released
Progressive women's rights organizations around the world, including those leading the #MeToo movement and most recently those leading the UN Women group, have been harshly criticized for their failure to loudly condemn Hamas's use of mass rape. condemn.
Just last week, almost two months after the horrific October 7 attack, UN Secretary General António Guterres announced that the organization would investigate Hamas's use of sexual violence against Israeli women.
“There are numerous stories of sexual violence during Hamas' abhorrent acts of terror on October 7, which must be vigorously investigated and prosecuted,” he said.
'Gender-based violence must be condemned. Always. Everywhere.'
The UN Women's Organization has previously failed to take a definitive position on Hamas' use of rape against Israeli women.