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eumeliaI'm about begin my semi-regular room cleaning, yeah it's that time of year again, where my desk has disappeared under stack of paper, where I books are due back to the library any day now and the smell of dust is just too much to bear any more... there needs to be a purge.
Before all that, recall that a couple of weeks ago I wrote about a rape from twenty years ago coming to light.
Well, last night the (alleged) rapist was officially named in the media and his name is Yithak Laor. He's an award winning poet, has been a part of the Left millieu for over twenty years, is considered "the first of the Refusniks" (during the First Lebanon War back in 1982) and has been known to use his poetry, prose and script writing to protest the Occupation.
Last night, Israeli News Magazine "Ha'Makor" (המקור - The Source) broadcast an expose, following the Eshkar Eldan Cohen's letter in which she wrote about her rape and didn't name names. The broadcast had other women who were harassed and assaulted.
The women say they went to the heads of their Desks (he worked at Ha'aretz newspaper), to theie faculty heads (he was a lecturer at various Universities and Vocational Colleges).
You can guess what happened.
Now he is named. I'm so happy I never had to study with this man.
After the broadcast (which was researched and written by women reporters - Billie Muskuna-Lerman, a journalist of great renown and a staunch feminist was part of this broadcast) there were a few minutes in which the presenters (two white Jewish men) and they said quite inane things, like:
"It's easier to act when something physical happens, than when it's just verbal".
I have two concerns when it comes to this story. One, is that Laor will not be prosecuted and that it'll slip though the authorities fingers, because he is a man of Reputation. Two, that should he be prosecuted, his position as a Leftist is what will be attacked, that is, the politics he presumes to have and exault will be attacked and not the fact that he is a criminal.
Being a vocal Leftist and critic of Israeli policies is treated with something a kin to proto-treason. I don't want there to be Thought-Crime, I was Rape eradicated - and in this instance I feel there may be a conflict of "interests" here.
Ha'aretz posted a response to last night's broadcast and I have to admit it is luke-warm and doesn't actually talk about the fact that Laor was accused of a crime, rather they're just letting us know it happened. Laor is an employee of the paper (I must admit that even before I know of his criminality I found him irritating, now I find him unbearable to read).
Compare his story, to the one of Rabbi Mordechai Elon (why yes, we have two high profile rape stories, each from the other end of the Israeli political spectrum) who has been accused of raping pupils of his in the Yeshivah he taught in, before he was booted and forced to move away.
A religious-Zionist forum posted a notice claiming Elon was up to no good.
The other great difference is, beyond the politics, is that those claimed to have been harassed, molested and/or raped were boys (now men, as far as I'm aware).
"Rabbi Elon accused of 'long-term' sexual relationship with student".
We have the whole shbeang, about the internet forum "Takana" that was established to defend against the abuse of power from the authoritive positions of Rabbi's in this community.
They had no problem reporting about it at length, the link above is just the latest on this story:
"Little Woman, or a Big Threat".
"Rabbi accused of inappropriate sexual behaviour".
And there's more, of course.
Laor gets a note regarding the fact that women accused him on television last night.
The story about Yithak Laor is largely "a story about Yithak Laor" and not about the fact that it took twenty years for a survivor to say "I am a survivor of rape".
The story of Rabbi Mordecahi Elon has become whether a public forum should have the authority to accuse a man of his stature and he has many supporters.
As I write this a new bill has is being written, that any defendant or allegedly accused rapist will have the right to report to the police a counter complaint against (usually) his complainants.
Yes.
I know!
Okay, in case it wasn't clear. If someone is accused of committing rape, this bill will enable the rapist to say: "she made me do it".
As though "unofficial" victim blaming wasn't destructive enough.
It makes reading articles like this - The Sinister Blame Game - that much more depressing.
I do not have any news articles on this, neither is Hebrew or in English, only blog posts in Hebrew. However as soon as I read something a bit more substantial I'll post it here.
Before all that, recall that a couple of weeks ago I wrote about a rape from twenty years ago coming to light.
Well, last night the (alleged) rapist was officially named in the media and his name is Yithak Laor. He's an award winning poet, has been a part of the Left millieu for over twenty years, is considered "the first of the Refusniks" (during the First Lebanon War back in 1982) and has been known to use his poetry, prose and script writing to protest the Occupation.
Last night, Israeli News Magazine "Ha'Makor" (המקור - The Source) broadcast an expose, following the Eshkar Eldan Cohen's letter in which she wrote about her rape and didn't name names. The broadcast had other women who were harassed and assaulted.
The women say they went to the heads of their Desks (he worked at Ha'aretz newspaper), to theie faculty heads (he was a lecturer at various Universities and Vocational Colleges).
You can guess what happened.
Now he is named. I'm so happy I never had to study with this man.
After the broadcast (which was researched and written by women reporters - Billie Muskuna-Lerman, a journalist of great renown and a staunch feminist was part of this broadcast) there were a few minutes in which the presenters (two white Jewish men) and they said quite inane things, like:
"It's easier to act when something physical happens, than when it's just verbal".
I have two concerns when it comes to this story. One, is that Laor will not be prosecuted and that it'll slip though the authorities fingers, because he is a man of Reputation. Two, that should he be prosecuted, his position as a Leftist is what will be attacked, that is, the politics he presumes to have and exault will be attacked and not the fact that he is a criminal.
Being a vocal Leftist and critic of Israeli policies is treated with something a kin to proto-treason. I don't want there to be Thought-Crime, I was Rape eradicated - and in this instance I feel there may be a conflict of "interests" here.
Ha'aretz posted a response to last night's broadcast and I have to admit it is luke-warm and doesn't actually talk about the fact that Laor was accused of a crime, rather they're just letting us know it happened. Laor is an employee of the paper (I must admit that even before I know of his criminality I found him irritating, now I find him unbearable to read).
Compare his story, to the one of Rabbi Mordechai Elon (why yes, we have two high profile rape stories, each from the other end of the Israeli political spectrum) who has been accused of raping pupils of his in the Yeshivah he taught in, before he was booted and forced to move away.
A religious-Zionist forum posted a notice claiming Elon was up to no good.
The other great difference is, beyond the politics, is that those claimed to have been harassed, molested and/or raped were boys (now men, as far as I'm aware).
"Rabbi Elon accused of 'long-term' sexual relationship with student".
We have the whole shbeang, about the internet forum "Takana" that was established to defend against the abuse of power from the authoritive positions of Rabbi's in this community.
They had no problem reporting about it at length, the link above is just the latest on this story:
"Little Woman, or a Big Threat".
"Rabbi accused of inappropriate sexual behaviour".
And there's more, of course.
Laor gets a note regarding the fact that women accused him on television last night.
The story about Yithak Laor is largely "a story about Yithak Laor" and not about the fact that it took twenty years for a survivor to say "I am a survivor of rape".
The story of Rabbi Mordecahi Elon has become whether a public forum should have the authority to accuse a man of his stature and he has many supporters.
As I write this a new bill has is being written, that any defendant or allegedly accused rapist will have the right to report to the police a counter complaint against (usually) his complainants.
Yes.
I know!
Okay, in case it wasn't clear. If someone is accused of committing rape, this bill will enable the rapist to say: "she made me do it".
As though "unofficial" victim blaming wasn't destructive enough.
It makes reading articles like this - The Sinister Blame Game - that much more depressing.
I do not have any news articles on this, neither is Hebrew or in English, only blog posts in Hebrew. However as soon as I read something a bit more substantial I'll post it here.
no subject
Date: 2010-02-18 08:08 pm (UTC)speechless.
no subject
Date: 2010-02-18 08:31 pm (UTC)