Hundreds protest sexual violence in Tel Aviv in response to alleged Eilat rape
1,500 gather in Rabin Square, demanding policy reforms to combat assaults against women; ‘We need to change everything,’ city’s deputy mayor says
Hundreds protested against government policies on sexual violence in Tel Aviv Sunday, in response to the alleged gang rape of a teen girl earlier this month in Eilat, which shocked the country and spurred calls for reforms.
Some 1,500 demonstrators gathered in Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square, with smaller rallies taking place in the cities of Haifa, Kiryat Ono, Beersheba and other locations.
The Tel Aviv protesters blocked roads around the square, and chanted: “No means no. What part of that don’t you understand?” “It’s not a mistake, it’s policy,” and “Stop, enough, blame the rapist.”
At the close of the Tel Aviv event, some 300 demonstrators marched down the city’s main Ibn Gabirol Street.
One of the organizers of the protest, Moran Zer Katzenstein, said from the stage, “I had the luck to not be raped, but some of my friends were… I’m here in the name of dozens and hundreds of women who are saying, ‘Stop. Enough.’
“I’m not a speaker or an activist. This is the first protest I put together in my life. I don’t represent any organization and tonight this is a personal gathering because we can’t bear to hear about more assaults or rapes,” she said, according to the Ynet news site.
Tel Aviv Deputy Mayor Tzipi Brand said, “How is it that a 16-year-old girl was brutally raped right under our noses? The indifference of the system led to the destruction of a young girl’s life. We need to change everything — the language, the textbooks and the history books.”
On Saturday, hundreds also demonstrated in response to the incident.
The demonstrators are demanding a budget increase for programs combating violence against women, changes to the justice system, and better medical support for sexual assault victims, among other measures.
The case has sent shockwaves throughout Israel, after testimony indicated that a large group of men lined up outside the intoxicated underage girl’s hotel room, patiently waiting their turn to rape her, as eyewitnesses failed to intervene.
Earlier Sunday, thousands of Israelis demonstrated and observed a symbolic work stoppage to denounce sexual violence against women.
The hour-long strike at noon was held “to protest the growing violence against women and girls in Israel, and lack of sufficient punishment,” said women’s group Building an Alternative.
One of the event’s organizers, Ariel Peleg, told AFP that at least 30 organizations and companies, including municipalities and Microsoft Israel, took part in the vigil.
Jewish Agency head Isaac Herzog said his organization was also joining the strike.
“I call on all public institutions in Israel to join this important protest. It’s in our hands,” Herzog tweeted.
Police on Sunday said they had arrested seven more suspects, all of them minors, in connection with the alleged gang rape. In the statement, police also said they were seeking to extend the remand of two minors arrested on Saturday and an adult detained last week.
There have now been 11 people detained in direct connection with the alleged assault.
Additionally, the manager of the hotel where the alleged assault took place was questioned and placed under arrest on Sunday on suspicion of failing to prevent a crime and interfering in a police investigation.
A senior police official told Channel 12 that investigators have evidence that strengthens the 16-year-old victim’s claims about the case.
“This whole case is based on her testimony and this testimony is supported, among other things, by the findings we have collected so far,” he said.
The official said the evidence indicates the rape went on for a long period of time, and the investigators have sensitive material they are not willing to reveal yet.
“This is a shocking rape that went on for long hours,” he said.
The first 17-year-old suspect who was arrested on Saturday denied any connection to the case, but police believe he took an active role in the assault, the Kan public broadcaster reported.
Investigators believe the number of assailants was likely in the double digits, the Walla news site reported. Initial reports indicated the number of assailants was as high as 30, but the girl’s lawyer said that figure had not come from her client, and it has been called into question.
Also on Sunday, the Tel Aviv municipality removed a famous mural showing men peeping into the women’s changing room at a beach, after repeated defacement of the controversial drawing by feminist activists.
The 2000 mural by street artist Rami Meiri is a homage to a 1972 film, “Peeping Toms” or “Metzitzim” (peeping) in Hebrew, which has become a cult film, despite being seen as extremely demeaning toward women.
AFP contributed to this report.
