Tel-Chai Nation

An alarming scandal took place nearly 2 weeks ago in Eilat, where nearly 30 men/boys were accused of raping a 16 year old girl in a hotel. At least 11 suspects have been arrested so far:

Eleven alleged rapists have now been arrested after a 16-year-old girl claimed she was gang-raped at a hotel in southern Israel.

Two 27-year-old men, believed to be the main suspects, were arrested last week, while nine minors, all thought to be aged 17, were arrested at the weekend.

The girl claims she was attacked in a room at the Red Sea Hotel on August 12 after going there to drink with friends, with witnesses saying up to 30 men were involved.

Police say the girl's account is credible and tallies up with evidence, including testimony from her friend and CCTV footage which allegedly shows men queuing down a corridor leading to the room.

What's particularly shocking is that the hotel manager enabled the crime, and has been arrested for his failure to prevent it:

Police arrested the manager of the Red Sea Hotel in Eilat, where a 16-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped by a large group of men, under suspicion of disrupting the investigation proceedings and failing to prevent the crime.

One of the suspects told police that he believed he saw the manager standing aside as the girl was raped and did not do anything, according to N12.

"I saw an open door and a lot of men lying with a woman," he said, according to the Israeli news channel. "I saw someone who looks like the security officer of the hotel next to the manager of the hotel... we did not understand why they did not do anything."

On Thursday, the manager of the hotel told N12 that there is no evidence that the incident occurred there, and that if it had, the management on location “would have noticed.”

The hotel did not respond to the police claim that the footage from the security cameras proves without a doubt that the incident did occur in the hotel.

The hotel security chief said that “the girl and her friend had a hand in the affair,” according to N12. [...]

Meanwhile, police confirmed to the Post on Sunday evening that more evidence has surfaced that further strengthens the claim of the victim, suggesting that the rape lasted for an exceedingly long amount of time.

This is one of the most horrific parts of the whole topic: the security official blamed the victim, not the perpetrators. It appears the hotel will have to be boycotted until the manager and guard are both exiled. Here's a report on witness testimony.

Another outrage making matters worse is that the girl's identity was exposed on social media, and now she needs protection:

By tracking text messages sent to the 16-year-old victim, the police arrested two suspects almost immediately. Both have implicated themselves in the incident, with one confirming that the girl was heavily intoxicated and that "men lined up outside her hotel room, waiting their turn to rape her," while eyewitnesses failed to intervene.

Sunday's arrests corroborate the fact that a double-digit number of men have been implicated in the sexual assault of the girl and in failing to prevent the crime.

The police also arrested an employee at the Red Sea Hotel in Eilat, where the alleged rape is said to have taken place. The woman is suspected of failing to prevent a crime and obstruction of justice.

Also on Sunday, the police said it will supply protection to the girl and her family after threats were made against her online.

According to a police source familiar with the case, the girl's name was made public on social media over the weekend, sparking a wave of threats to harm her.

The special task force handling the case deemed the belligerent rhetoric to be a credible threat and police cruisers were placed outside the teen's home.

Hagit Pe'er, head of the Naamat women's rights organization, denounced the threats made against the girl.

"The fact that his girl has been made a prisoner in her own home instead of the dozens of men who allegedly raped her being in prison is outrageous," she said.

"I welcome the fact that the police have increased protection for her but it's time for law enforcement to become more proactive. Those who made these online threats have to be tracked down and prosecuted to the full extent of the law."

Rachel Avraham addresses the recent scandal, pointing out double-standards in some potentially leftist reactions to it:

Some of the reactions on social media to the reported gang-rape have been downright despicable. As if suffering a brutal gang rape were not enough of a trauma, the girl's name was somehow made public and dozens of threats were published against her online. This, resulted in the victim requiring increased police protection and this has made her a virtual prisoner in her own home, an additional trauma that was added on top of her pre-existing one.

Others on social media made comments that struck me as outrageous. One Israeli male political strategist and PHD candidate, who has published in numerous Israeli media outlets, argued in a Facebook post about the child rape victim that if she had been a 20-year-old, she would have been just as much to blame for the fact that she was drunk and that it would not have been rape: “Women should be treated exactly the way men are in terms of respecting the ability to make decisions for themselves. If a man is to blame for what he does while drunk (fighting, driving, raping), then so too is a woman.” But she wasn't. She was a minor.

When I disagreed with him on this for such a girl is clearly too drunk to make any kind of rational decisions related to the issue, he called me a “religious misogynist” and proclaimed: “It is religious sexist idiocy to invariably see women as vulnerable, easily duped victims.” He had nothing to say to the fact that both American and British law mandate that a woman of any age must have the “capacity” to give consent for the act not to be considered rape, and that neither has anything to do with Orthodox Judaism. This is especially the case when we are talking about dozens of random men lined up outside a hotel room to sleep with the same drunk girl on the same night.

This political strategist was not alone. Others said everyone was to blame, including the girl for she made the irresponsible decision to get drunk, thus setting her up to be “the perfect victim.” This is classic blame the victim mentality. Just because a girl got drunk, deplorable in itself, does not mean that she is to blame for getting raped. This same person acknowledged later that the victim was not to blame, but how could people say anything critical of the victim at such a delicate time, after a brutal gang rape was reported?

It is true that there were many more Israelis who condemned what happened on social media and there was even a massive demonstration with thousands of participants who marched against this brutal gang rape. Israeli civil society and the political establishment have unanimously supported the gang rape victim, and this is important. Nevertheless, the very fact that there are some within Israeli society who would initially cast blame on the girl or claim that a long line of men taking advantage of a drunk woman would not have been gang rape so long as she said yes under the influence of alcohol and was a bit older does cast a dark shadow, especially when anti-religious bigotry is added to the equation.

The Israeli media systematically referred to the Eilat gang rape as “alleged.” By saying “alleged”, these journalists cast doubt into the mind of the reader whether an actual gang rape occurred, thus delegitimizing the victim. In fairness to the Israeli media, some may argue that Israeli media outlets say “alleged” or “suspected” in such instances merely because the matter has not been confirmed yet in a court of law and they want to play it safe. No Israeli media outlet wants to face a libel lawsuit. However, it is possible to say “report” or utilize quotation marks instead of saying “alleged,” especially if no names are mentioned in the news article.

This is all quite concerning, especially since evidence turned up confirming the incident occurred. Many of those who blamed the victim are doubtless supporters of the recent cliche "believe all women and victims", even though such a claim is illogical. Now, when a victim of a violent sexual crime turns up and there's evidence to back her up, they suddenly abandon this shoddy propaganda tactic to reveal their true colors. One of the most chilling things about it is that the blame-victim reactions are very similar to blame-game tactics where Islamic rapists defend their actions by claiming the victim wasn't wearing a burka. This latest rape case in Eilat also very easily ties in with the mentality that led to an earlier incident in Tel Aviv 7 years back, and demonstrates why serious educational reform is badly needed to repair mentality so proper relations can be led between both sexes again.

The scandal in Eilat's led to protests nationwide, including businesses striking in solidarity with the victim. Let's hope this is the start of paving the way for improvements where needed.

Update: while we're on the subject, it's also important to read this news about Hollywood actress Rose McGowan, who supports Tara Reade's accusations against Joe Biden that he sexually assaulted her, and is accusing her former Charmed co-star Alyssa Milano of being the fraud she is, given that Milano's hypocritically supporting Biden.

Update 2: if the following news provides something to think about regarding the hotel manager in Eilat, that's why all concerned should read this:

The hotel’s manager was questioned and placed under arrest on Sunday on suspicion of failing to prevent a crime and obstructing a police investigation. Police asked on Sunday to extend her remand by five more days.

So the hotel manager is a woman? This should make clear why nobody should assume a woman can do a better job or recognize the gravity of serious issues any more than a man can. For her involvement in lawbreaking, the manager should face severe penalties.

Labels: communications, Israel, misogyny, msm foulness, sexual violence, showbiz, United States