From the Liveblog of
Thursday, February 15, 2024
US Congress condemns Hamas use of sexual violence; Tlaib abstains
The US Congress passes a bipartisan resolution on Hamas’s use of rape and sexual violence in the October 7 onslaught and afterward against hostages held by the terror group.
The bill passes by a vote of 418 to 0, with only Palestinian-American lawmaker Rashida Tlaib voting “present.”
“Our bipartisan resolution says it loud and clear — rape and sexual violence are crimes against humanity and should never be used or accepted as weapons of war,” says Democrat Lois Frankel of Florida who introduced the resolution.
“Hamas’s actions on October 7 and continuing is almost too difficult to speak about, raping, mutilating and burning to inflict psychological pain and unleashing trauma that continues to plague a grieving Israel,” Frankel says.
Tlaib said she condemned all forms of sexual violence, but could not support the resolution because it “completely ignores and erases any sexual violence and abuse committed by the Israeli forces against Palestinians, especially children.”
While the evidence and testimony of horrific sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas on October 7 has been widely documented, there have been no credible reports of sexual violence perpetrated by the IDF in Gaza as Tlaib claims.
We all have a responsibility to denounce sexual violence in all forms, regardless of who is responsible. War crimes cannot justify more war crimes. This resolution falls well short of also acknowledging the sexual abuse of Palestinians. pic.twitter.com/T4kdm1WXxk
— Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (@RepRashida) February 14, 2024
