OPINION:
Those who deny that Hamas has systematically used rape, sexual mutilation and torture as weapons of war against Israeli women and girls — both during and after its Oct. 7 massacre in Israel — should see Sheryl Sandberg’s powerful documentary “Screams Before Silence.”
The film consists of interviews with former hostages, massacre survivors, first responders, and medical and forensics experts. Their testimony is harrowing. Former hostages Amit Soussana and Agam Goldstein-Almog (whose father and sister were murdered during her abduction) recount horrors in captivity that include sexual assault at gunpoint. Other survivors describe witnessing gang rapes. First responders found murdered women who were barbarically sexually mutilated.
Dr. Ayelet Levy Shachar recalls through tears Hamas’ brutal abduction of her daughter Naama Levy. In a video of her kidnapping filmed by the Hamas terrorists themselves, Levy is seen being dragged by her hair and thrown into a truck bound for Gaza; her pajama bottoms are stained with blood.
Since Ms. Sandberg’s film was released, more horrors have come to light. A video from Oct. 7 shows a Hamas terrorist gleefully describing five kidnapped Israeli women, ages 18 to 19, as “girls who can get pregnant.” Ms. Levy is among the five. Another Hamas-filmed video shows the same five in captivity, their faces brutally battered. All five remain hostages in Gaza.
And in yet another video, two Hamas terrorists — a father and son — admit to gang-raping and murdering multiple Israeli women at Kibbutz Nir Oz.
Ms. Sandberg’s documentary takes its title from Tali Binner, who survived the Nova music festival massacre by hiding in a trailer for seven hours. She describes hearing women outside being raped and then silenced (murdered). But the title’s “silence” could also refer to the shocking lack of concern among so-called women’s rights groups for Israeli victims of Hamas’ savagery.
STEPHEN A. SILVER
San Francisco
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