Two recent and consecutive events challenge the feminist narrative in Israel: Colette Avital's interview with Haaretz, in which the former diplomat and lawmaker said she had been the victim of sexual assault, and Intelligence Services Minister Elazar Stern's remark that as the head of the IDF's Manpower Directorate, he would shred anonymous complaints from soldiers.
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While Stern has since claimed he had not been referring to anonymous complaints of sexual assault, these events offer an opportunity to tackle the real challenge facing Israeli society.
Our society is torn apart. Every issue has its ideological camp: Sexual harassment and environmental issues belong to the Left, while the development of the country belongs to the Right. Too many people are being made to pay the price for this division. If everyone is worried more about their political camp than their goals, how will we make progress on any issue? Who will act to prevent sexual assault?
Sexual assault is not a left-wing issue. It's everyone's issue – women, young women, and children from all sectors of society are the victims of assault.
Now, instead of quibbling over why the Left isn't doing enough, the Right should simply say: "This is on us. We will act for the good of victims of sexual assault. We will promote legislation on the subject, and if the government votes against it, we will embarrass it. We will act for the benefit of every woman and girl that has been assaulted because this cannot be the issue of one camp. It impacts every woman, mother, and daughter."
If we did this, we would see genuine change.
True, it is more exciting to see the camps attack one another in the media and online. Yet the people who need us to have their backs are the ones who will pay the price.
I hope now is the time when we succeed in lowering the flames and remembering we have a responsibility as a society to those who need us.
May we know how to set political divisions aside for the benefit of sexual assault victims, for the good of our children's future, and for the good of everything we hold dear.
Our society is being tested. We cannot let this opportunity slip by.
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