When David Baddiel wrote Jews Don’t Count, he was writing about racism being somehow unnoticed or even socially acceptable when directed at Jews.
Now, in view of the deafening silence at the latest atrocity – female hostages paraded through a baying, hostile mob like women at the Salem witch trials – it’s time to observe the shameful truth that for the sisterhood and campaigners against violence to women, Jews don’t count either.
The savage sexual violence meted out to women and girls on October 7th was received by most high-profile feminists, campaigners and Me-too-ers with little more than a shrug. At best there were a few ambiguous commiserations; at worst there was a nasty political twist to “they had it coming” that replaced provocative clothing with the “provocation” of daring to live in Israel – despite Jews having lived there continuously for 4,000-plus years.
There is a special irony in this in light of the pivotal role of Jewish women (notably Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan) in 1960s “second-wave” feminism.
If Jews “counted” as victims of misogynist brutality, there would have been a roar of pure rage from the sisterhood over the mutilation, viciously misogynistic brutality and savage sexual violence directed at Israeli women by Hamas terrorists.
If Jews counted in this regard, there would be a roar of pure rage over the way the released hostages were paraded through that hostile, baying mob.
If Jews were not actively discounted in this regard, we would surely have heard from prominent feminists such as Michelle Obama or feminist literary icons such as Bernadine Evaristo or Arundathi Roy who would surely be outraged at the savage sexual violence to which the women were subjected.
Or we’d hear from the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women which has expressed “alarm” over Palestinian women suffering “egregious human rights violations” but has failed so far to condemn – or even express “alarm” at – the brutality, depraved violence, sexual mutilation or prolonged captivity of Jewish women.
Or we’d hear from our very own London-based Amnesty International which has actively promoted Palestinian victimhood and agonises over “online abuse” of women, but does not say one word about misogyny, brutality and depraved violence directed in real life at actual Jewish women.
All of these feminists or humanitarian organisations should be denouncing the misogyny, frenzied sexual violence, rape, and illegal captivity. They should be wearing yellow ribbons in solidarity with female hostages. But we hear nothing from any of them. It is left to passionately engaged but regular women (i.e not “feminist icons” or humanitarian organisations) to condemn these atrocities on social media or on the streets.
But perhaps I am being unjust. Perhaps the feminist icons or humanitarian organisations did speak up on behalf of Jewish women victims of brutal physical and emotional abuse, or about Jewish hostages being paraded like women in mediaeval witch trials. Perhaps they did, indeed, issue media statements condemning the sustained, savage, systematic brutality to Israeli women/mainly Jewish women by terrorists.
But if any statement was issued – and forgive my cynicism for doubting it – I think we can guess why we didn’t see headlines about it. Because the media is, like so many the feminist icons and humanitarian organisations, invested in a fake version of history. Plus, of course, it’s achingly on-trend to think of Jews as white and privileged and Palestinians as victims
And that means that when it comes to brutal, savage violence against women, Jewish women don’t count.
