Rape of teen shocks Israelis, sends them to the streets
Women rights groups were joined by many Israeli firms in a protest over the gang rape of a 16-year-old in Eilat.
Orit Soliciano has heard many testimonies of sexual and domestic violence over the years. But even she admits that a recent case in Eilat stands out in its severity.
Soliciano heads the Israeli Association of Rape Crisis Centers — an organization uniting all of the centers in the country treating victims of sexual harassment and violence. She has just come back from a meeting with Tourism Minister Asaf Zamir. The reason for the meeting was the gruesome gang rape in Eilat that took place in a hotel Aug. 20. Several men are accused of gang-raping a 16-year-old girl in a Red Sea Hotel room. First reports of the case mentioned 30 men who allegedly participated in the attack. The police have arrested 11 suspects, including seven minors, but the investigation is far from over.
The gang rape in Eilat generated anger with large swaths of the society. "Dozens of men were present there. It is inconceivable. Unimaginable. And so this has touched many. It was the one drop too many that caused all sorts of feelings to burst out," Soliciano told Al-Monitor.
Soliciano and her organization are not alone in the protest. Thousands of people have been demonstrating for the past few days against what they consider insufficient action by the authorities against sexual violence, lenient punishment and lack of resources to assist victims of rape. Shortly after the news, women started gathering in junctions across the country, dressed in red, carrying signs, "We won’t be silenced" and "Rape is like murder." On Aug. 23 at noon, dozens of women rights groups staged a strike, with walkouts all over Israel. A mass rally in Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square took place that night.
