Israeli lawyer, actress, model, and beauty queen who won the Miss World 1998 Linor Abargil spoke out against the silence of women's organizations in the wake of the murder, sexual assault, and kidnapping of Israeli women by the Hamas terror organization.
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"On Oct. 7, we witnessed the most horrible massacres, atrocities, rape, mutilation – the worst human behavior," Abargil said at an event organized as part of the World Economic Forum in Davos. "I turned to all my colleagues and friends worldwide as well to the leading women's rights organization to expose this terrible event, certain that they will speak out and condemn this unspeakable event. And what did I discover? That there is a discriminatory approach and violence against one woman doesn't equal to violence [toward] another."
"Their silence, apathy, and Hebrew nation shocked me to the core. They even had that docility, to ask for evidence when it was all there to see. There is no need for more proof, it's all out there to see."
The event, titled "Women at the Forefront of the Global Peace and Security Agenda" was hosted by Female Quotient at the Equality Lounge, and was also attended by Tatiana Kotlyarenko, an international expert in gender-based violence and human trafficking, Dr. Qanta Ahmed, a senior fellow at the Independent Women's Forum, and Anastasiya Dzyakava, social reforms and child online protection expert.
Abargil shared how at a young age she was assaulted and what helped her survive and speak up.
"I was invited to speak all over the world. I gave lectures, and I spoke about the fact that we women truly understand the world and its needs. I found out that this world of men, weapons, and war doesn't understand that women can work without agendas, and interest in politics, and rise above all this. I decided to dedicate my life to this cause. And it's been my life's journey [for] the past 20 years.
"Hamas established a new evil strategy: openly abusing mostly the female hostages, and also men, deleting them not in secret and not in the dark. Everything was filmed. Anyone who doesn't speak up against this is silently complicit in sexual violence against all women, not just Israeli women.
"For the first time, I really feel alone. I was stuck. As a victim, I had the support that someone had my back. And now I stand here at Davos. With that empty feeling of being alone."
"The word silent and not a word has been said. … [But] I will not be silent. I will show you what took place on Oct. 7. I will continue my fight to protect women. Hamas are not freedom fighters. They are inhuman, and terrorists of the worst evil kind.
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