The long road ahead for Israeli feminism
The conviction of former President Moshe Katsav signifies a breakthrough moment for Israel's feminist movement, but there is still a long way to go.
By Tsafi Saar
Something has changed. True, women are still being harassed on the streets and elsewhere, sexually assaulted, raped, bought and sold. But until now, when this happened, most woman felt that if they complained, no one would believe them. Today, things are different.
To be sure, there are still those out there who won't think twice about vilifying the plaintiffs and defaming them.
It's not as if a major problem has suddenly gone away. Still, in its historic decision, the Tel Aviv District Court accepted the testimonies of women who had fallen victim to a serial sex offender, in this case one who held the highest position in the land, and ruled that he had raped them.
Although the underlying problems have yet to be resolved, Moshe Katzav's rape conviction last week represents a significant breakthrough in a very important struggle.
Despite the sense of satisfaction many of us feel at justice having been done, we mustn't forget: Only 10 years have passed since Israel's elected officials chose for the position of president of this country a man that they knew was, at the very least, a serial harasser of women. Many of them are still running the country today. Here, for example, is a story whose hero happens to be that same former prime minister, Ariel Sharon, who in 2000 contacted a newspaper editor and asked him to shelve an investigative article about how Katsav had harassed his secretary. (The editor agreed. )
Writer Roni Gelbfish (author of "A Dirty Little Story," a complex story of rape ) told me last week, on the day of the conviction, that in the early 1990s, when she was a young reporter at the now defunct "Al Hamishmar" newspaper, she met with Sharon in the Knesset cafeteria. They spoke about politicians who were trying to woo Russian voters, who were then immigrating to Israel en masse. Sharon mentioned the names of several MKs in this context, among them Katzav, but immediately added: But don't go to him. Why not? asked the young journalist. Listen to me, Sharon said to her, don't go to him.
Another thing to remember: The "Boys Club" - that club of men who don't understand what women want and why they complain so much, the ones who say "So what if he threw her down on the grass" (in the case of Dr. Orly Innes ) - is still alive and kicking.
Even after Katsav's conviction. And there are even women out there who've internalized their code and support it.
In this country, someone convicted of sex crimes can still hold a high public office. Haim Ramon, for example, was convicted in 2007 of indecent behavior and was sentenced to do community service.
That didn't prevent this well-connected politician not long thereafter from being appointed a minister in the Israeli government. Today, he serves as chairman of the Kadima faction council.
Ramon's a different story, some will argue. Only extreme feminists think that he was out of line. (OP's note: Ramon was accused of kissing a former employee against her will. There was also something involving wire tapping during the trial)
These "Extreme feminists" - sometimes referred to in less delicate terms - are those women, you known, who hold up signs at sparsely attended demonstrations, they shout, they never give up. Don't they have a house to clean? What can you say - they're not especially nice, these women.
On the day of Katsav's conviction, they were there on television, standing with their signs outside the courthouse. Afterward, of course, the broadcasters and the moderators spoke to the honorable commentators - a significant percentage of them men - who had a lot to say about the event and its importance, etc. etc.
But these women, the feminist activists, are to a great extent the ones who brought Katsav to trial, together, of course, with the courageous women who dared to complain about what he did to them, and who for years were vilified and humiliated.
The activists and the feminist organizations, including the campaign director of the women's organizations, Dorit Abramovich, have in recent years led a crusade to keep sex offenders out of government.
One of their major achievements was the large demonstration held at Rabin Square in 2007, organized by the Association of Rape Crisis Centers. It was a demonstration attended by women and men who don't usually take to the streets but who decided to bring their daughters and sons along. Were it not for their determination and their participation in "extreme" and "not nice" activities, what happened last week might not have happened at all, and at this very moment, Katsav might be assaulting another woman in his luxurious office, built, incidentally, with female taxpayers' money.
And not just him: As a result of what transpired at his trial, aggressive and chauvinistic men may finally begin to understand that the world has changed. Not again.
The work being done by members of these feminist organizations - for all of Israeli society, even if society doesn't always appreciate it - has not ended. There is still a very long way to go.
The angry sister
In recent days, many feminist activists have been approached by an unexpected source: The producers of the "Big Brother" reality TV show. They've been invited to enter the famous house during the show's upcoming season. The reason so many were approached is that one after another, they turned down the invitation. For now at least. Those elitists.
Opinions, as always, were divided. Some argued that the program, like others of this genre, is an insult to intelligence in particular and to humanity in general, and that if a feminist participates ("an angry feminist," to be precise ), the producers will try to make a mockery of her and the cause she represents, in order to improve their ratings.
There are others, however, who hold similar views about the quality of the program, but who believe that its high visibility could help promote their cause.
Some cite Stav Vaknin as an example: Her appearance on the show is thought to have influenced public opinion about transsexuals.
Whatever the case, both groups include viewers of "Big Brother," some very devoted, others less so.
I wasn't sure whether to add a tag for Israel so I just used the 'middle east' one.
TBH that bit about Sharon makes me think less of him, not more.
source
By Tsafi Saar
Something has changed. True, women are still being harassed on the streets and elsewhere, sexually assaulted, raped, bought and sold. But until now, when this happened, most woman felt that if they complained, no one would believe them. Today, things are different.
To be sure, there are still those out there who won't think twice about vilifying the plaintiffs and defaming them.
It's not as if a major problem has suddenly gone away. Still, in its historic decision, the Tel Aviv District Court accepted the testimonies of women who had fallen victim to a serial sex offender, in this case one who held the highest position in the land, and ruled that he had raped them.
Although the underlying problems have yet to be resolved, Moshe Katzav's rape conviction last week represents a significant breakthrough in a very important struggle.
Despite the sense of satisfaction many of us feel at justice having been done, we mustn't forget: Only 10 years have passed since Israel's elected officials chose for the position of president of this country a man that they knew was, at the very least, a serial harasser of women. Many of them are still running the country today. Here, for example, is a story whose hero happens to be that same former prime minister, Ariel Sharon, who in 2000 contacted a newspaper editor and asked him to shelve an investigative article about how Katsav had harassed his secretary. (The editor agreed. )
Writer Roni Gelbfish (author of "A Dirty Little Story," a complex story of rape ) told me last week, on the day of the conviction, that in the early 1990s, when she was a young reporter at the now defunct "Al Hamishmar" newspaper, she met with Sharon in the Knesset cafeteria. They spoke about politicians who were trying to woo Russian voters, who were then immigrating to Israel en masse. Sharon mentioned the names of several MKs in this context, among them Katzav, but immediately added: But don't go to him. Why not? asked the young journalist. Listen to me, Sharon said to her, don't go to him.
Another thing to remember: The "Boys Club" - that club of men who don't understand what women want and why they complain so much, the ones who say "So what if he threw her down on the grass" (in the case of Dr. Orly Innes ) - is still alive and kicking.
Even after Katsav's conviction. And there are even women out there who've internalized their code and support it.
In this country, someone convicted of sex crimes can still hold a high public office. Haim Ramon, for example, was convicted in 2007 of indecent behavior and was sentenced to do community service.
That didn't prevent this well-connected politician not long thereafter from being appointed a minister in the Israeli government. Today, he serves as chairman of the Kadima faction council.
Ramon's a different story, some will argue. Only extreme feminists think that he was out of line. (OP's note: Ramon was accused of kissing a former employee against her will. There was also something involving wire tapping during the trial)
These "Extreme feminists" - sometimes referred to in less delicate terms - are those women, you known, who hold up signs at sparsely attended demonstrations, they shout, they never give up. Don't they have a house to clean? What can you say - they're not especially nice, these women.
On the day of Katsav's conviction, they were there on television, standing with their signs outside the courthouse. Afterward, of course, the broadcasters and the moderators spoke to the honorable commentators - a significant percentage of them men - who had a lot to say about the event and its importance, etc. etc.
But these women, the feminist activists, are to a great extent the ones who brought Katsav to trial, together, of course, with the courageous women who dared to complain about what he did to them, and who for years were vilified and humiliated.
The activists and the feminist organizations, including the campaign director of the women's organizations, Dorit Abramovich, have in recent years led a crusade to keep sex offenders out of government.
One of their major achievements was the large demonstration held at Rabin Square in 2007, organized by the Association of Rape Crisis Centers. It was a demonstration attended by women and men who don't usually take to the streets but who decided to bring their daughters and sons along. Were it not for their determination and their participation in "extreme" and "not nice" activities, what happened last week might not have happened at all, and at this very moment, Katsav might be assaulting another woman in his luxurious office, built, incidentally, with female taxpayers' money.
And not just him: As a result of what transpired at his trial, aggressive and chauvinistic men may finally begin to understand that the world has changed. Not again.
The work being done by members of these feminist organizations - for all of Israeli society, even if society doesn't always appreciate it - has not ended. There is still a very long way to go.
The angry sister
In recent days, many feminist activists have been approached by an unexpected source: The producers of the "Big Brother" reality TV show. They've been invited to enter the famous house during the show's upcoming season. The reason so many were approached is that one after another, they turned down the invitation. For now at least. Those elitists.
Opinions, as always, were divided. Some argued that the program, like others of this genre, is an insult to intelligence in particular and to humanity in general, and that if a feminist participates ("an angry feminist," to be precise ), the producers will try to make a mockery of her and the cause she represents, in order to improve their ratings.
There are others, however, who hold similar views about the quality of the program, but who believe that its high visibility could help promote their cause.
Some cite Stav Vaknin as an example: Her appearance on the show is thought to have influenced public opinion about transsexuals.
Whatever the case, both groups include viewers of "Big Brother," some very devoted, others less so.
I wasn't sure whether to add a tag for Israel so I just used the 'middle east' one.
TBH that bit about Sharon makes me think less of him, not more.
source