#MeToo_Unless_Ur_A_Jew: Canadian Rape Center Director Dismissed for Victim Blaming, Anti-Semitism, and Denial of Sexual Assaults

The director of a Canadian university rape crisis center, Samantha Pearson, was dismissed for her denial of sexual assault claims by Israeli women against Palestinian attackers who carried out rapes and murders. Pearson, who had signed off on a letter that challenged the veracity of allegations about the rape of Israeli captives during the attacks on October 7, found herself at odds with the University of Alberta’s policies against discrimination and antisemitism.

In fact, Pearson got off easy, blamed for abusing the University’s name, not the abuse and atrocities visited on the women and girls in southern Israel. The letter, titled “Stand with Palestine: Call on Political Leaders to End Their Complicity in Genocide!” and penned by Canadian politicians Susan Kim and Sarah Jama, included Pearson’s endorsement, which was deemed an “improper and unauthorized use” of the university center’s name by U. Alberta President Bill Flanagan. Flanagan underscored that Pearson’s views did not reflect those of the institution and reiterated the university’s dedication to combating prejudice.

This incident dovetails with the broader criticism leveled at feminist organizations for their muted response to the Hamas-led violence on October 7. Despite reports of Hamas broadcasting footage of their crimes, including the parading of bloodied and abducted young women, feminist groups have been accused of turning a blind eye. The silence is deemed particularly jarring given the detailed survivor reports and Hamas’s oppressive stance towards women, which includes mandatory hijab laws and a prohibition on travel without a male guardian.

The campaign to draw attention to this apparent double standard has gained momentum, with Israeli feminists launching #MeToo_Unless_Ur_A_Jew, a campaign calling on UN Women to address the gender-based violence against Israeli women. Claire Waxman, London’s Victims’ Commissioner, engaged with Reem Alsalem, the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women and Girls, only to receive a response that the evidence was “not solid” enough for an official statement.

Amidst this, the outcry from those directly affected, such as Keren Sharf Shem, whose daughter was kidnapped, has been profound. “It is unbelievable that groups like the Red Cross and UN Women are doing nothing to help our people,” she stated, emphasizing the need for equal humanitarian attention for Israeli victims.

The Civil Commission on October 7 Crimes by Hamas Against Women and Children has been established to compile testimonies of the atrocities, with reports describing acts of sexual violence and mutilation that echo some of the darkest moments in history. However, the response from various organizations has been inconsistent, prompting the Jewish Women’s Aid in the UK to openly condemn the silence, which they say exacerbates the isolation and fear of survivors.

This could have been me.

The silence of @UN_Women and others makes their stance very clear:

Israeli and Jewish women who were raped, mutilated and murdered had it coming to them.#NoExcuses #BelieveIsraeliWomen

pic.twitter.com/YJajlJJP90

— Tamar Schwarzbard 🇮🇱 (@TSchwarzbard) November 17, 2023

In the UK, Sisters Uncut, known for their direct-action advocacy, recently organized a protest demanding Israel to disarm, which shut down Liverpool Street Station in London. Their subsequent statement condemned Israel but omitted any mention of the Israeli victims or the sexual violence perpetrated on October 7. When challenged, the group dismissed the reports of sexual violence as “Islamophobic and racist weaponisation.”

Southall Black Sisters mourned the loss of life but held the Israeli government’s actions responsible for the violence. Women for Women UK chose to fundraise solely for Palestinian women, and Women’s Place UK called for a ceasefire without addressing the sexual assaults. Only Jewish Women’s Aid in the UK openly condemned Hamas’s sexual violence, highlighting the detrimental psychological impact on survivors.

I want to challenge this one. Raping is fine, also killing, and kidnapping, and terror, and 9/11, and the holocaust, and Russia’s invasion to Ukraine – EVERYTHING IS ACCEPTABLE IF YOU HAVE A GOOD CAUSE.#MeToo pic.twitter.com/CDUKMtJIgL

— Danel Ben Namer (@DanelBenNamer) November 17, 2023

A British Jewish VAWG worker with 20 years of experience was not surprised by the silence, noting a prevalent narrative in the sector that categorizes white individuals as oppressors, which complicates the victim-perpetrator dynamic in geopolitical contexts.

A Civil Commission on October 7 Crimes by Hamas Against Women and Children has been established to compile testimonies of the atrocities. The gruesome accounts collected depict scenes of sexual violence so severe they are difficult to bear.