Dingell says she was pressured by Hamas over rape allegations

Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) said Monday that she has been convicted three times for her condemnation of Hamas’s rape of Israeli women, but added that she is now even more committed to drawing attention to the issue .

“In the very first week of this post-Hamas attack, I condemned the rape of women and said that no one could tolerate it, and Palestinian men came after me – calling me a liar and demanding that I retract the rape. “The topic confused me,” Dingell said in an interview with CNN’s Kasie Hunt. “I have spent the last seven weeks researching the rape of women in the Middle East. It’s outrageous. I condemn it.”

Dingell said it was “astonishing” to receive such “vicious” attacks from people – including women – demanding she retract her statements.

“I wont. It just made me angrier,” she said. “This will be an issue that I will take seriously.”

Dingell said that after being attacked for her position, she dedicated herself to researching the rape of Israeli women on October 7, when Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, launched a coordinated surprise attack on Israel’s southern border, killing 1,200 people Israelis killed and kidnapped more than 240 hostages.

While the prevalence of sexual violence after October 7 was well documented, in recent weeks more reports and initial testimonies have come to light underscoring the cruel and vicious nature of Hamas’ use of rape as a weapon of war.

As new reports emerged, some criticized the lack of widespread public outrage over the sexual violence. Dingell implicitly reiterated this concern and emphasized the importance of unequivocally condemning the rape of a woman, regardless of race or ethnicity.

“Rape is a weapon of war. It is violence that should not be perpetrated against any woman – against any woman: a Jewish woman, an Arab woman, a white woman, a black woman, and I am clearly against it,” she said.

Dingell said she plans to discuss the matter with House Progressive Caucus Chairwoman Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), who has been criticized for comments about Hamas’s use of rape as a weapon of war.

“I will talk to Pramila. I have a call with her… I’m just going to speak for myself on this issue, and I’m unhappy on this issue because I felt the hate that was given to me for telling the truth. I will tell the truth and I don’t care who it is. But rape is a violent act and all too often becomes a tool in every act of war, and as women everywhere we must stand up for women everywhere.”

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