Ilana Gritzewsky, a former Israeli hostage who was sexually abused by Hamas, directly appealed to the United Nations special rapporteur on violence against women, Reem Alsalem, during a session of the UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday. The confrontation, organized by UN Watch, highlighted what critics call a pattern of denial by Alsalem regarding sexual violence committed by Hamas.
Confrontation at the Human Rights Council
Gritzewsky, who was kidnapped from her home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023, and held captive in Gaza, addressed Alsalem with the words: "Please look at me." She urged the international community not to ignore the sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas during the attack and during her captivity.
Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, described the situation as "absolutely horrible." Speaking to JNS on Wednesday, Neuer said: "It’s absolutely absurd and tragic that there are U.N. experts who are supposed to care about the rights of women, especially to combat sexual violence, and she’s one of the world’s major deniers of sexual violence against Israeli women."
Alsalem's History of Denial
Reem Alsalem, a Jordanian national who has served as the unpaid UN special rapporteur since 2021, has repeatedly denied survivor accounts of Hamas sexual violence on and after October 7. She has stated that "no independent investigation found that rape took place on Oct. 7." Neuer noted that Alsalem has made "some rather horrible statements that have either doubted or denied the violence against Israeli women, and in general against Israel as a whole."
Since October 7, Alsalem has not met with a single survivor of the Hamas-led attacks, according to Neuer. However, after Gritzewsky's testimony, Alsalem stated on Tuesday that "if any other survivor of Oct. 7 is ready to finally meet with me, I am always ready to meet." She claimed she had always been willing to meet with Israeli victims but that Israel never responded to her requests. Neuer confirmed that Gritzewsky is willing to meet with Alsalem.
UN's Response to Controversial Advisers
The United Nations considers special rapporteurs independent experts and is reluctant to censure them even when they make offensive comments. Francesca Albanese, another UN adviser on the "occupied Palestinian territories," has a long history of antisemitic comments. The UN has repeatedly told JNS that it does not dictate what its advisers say. JNS sought comment from Alsalem on whether she would meet with Gritzewsky and if the testimony would prompt her to revisit her past statements on sexual violence.
Broader Implications
Neuer emphasized the tragedy that a liberated hostage had to confront the UN expert on violence against women. The event underscores ongoing controversies within the UN system regarding the handling of sexual violence allegations against Israel. Gritzewsky's testimony, organized by UN Watch, aimed to bring attention to the suffering of Israeli women and challenge what critics see as institutional bias.
