Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Representatives Young Kim (CA-40) and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20) led 87 colleagues in a bipartisan letter urging the United Nations (UN) Women to publicly condemn Hamas for its brutal October 7th attack on innocent Israelis that included the murder, torture, rape and sexual violence against Israeli women and women of other nationalities.
“As Israeli women deal with the traumatic fall out of sexual violence, UN Women’s mission to protect women remains critically important. As the world just observed the UN’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25th, UN Women cannot expect to be viewed as an honest advocate for women’s rights if it continues to ignore Israeli women and women of other nationalities brutalized by Hamas terrorists on October 7th in an attack that claimed the lives of 1200+ Israelis and injured thousands more,” the members wrote.
The members also highlighted how UN Women has taken action to support Palestinian women in Gaza, while not doing the same for Israeli women, adding that,“On October 20th, UN Women released a report titled “UN Women rapid assessment and humanitarian response in the Occupied Palestinian Territory” addressing the effect of Israel’s ground invasion in Gaza on Palestinian women. The report does not address any gender-based violence, sexual abuse or mutilation directed at Israeli women or women of other nationalities targeted by terrorists on October 7th. It also does not mention any assessment about the wellbeing of the many women – Israeli, American and other nationalities – being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, including a pregnant foreign worker who is presumed to have given birth in captivity by now.”
Reps. Kim and Cherfilus-McCormick were joined in sending the letter by Reps. Colin Allred (TX-32), Mark Amodei (NV-02), Kelly Armstrong (ND-At Large), Jake Auchincloss (MA-04), Don Bacon (NE-02), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Shontel Brown (OH-09), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Larry Bucshon (IN-08), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Matt Cartwright (PA-08), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Ben Cline (VA-06), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Angie Craig (MN-02), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Christopher Deluzio (PA-17), Pat Fallon (TX-04), Randy Feenstra (IA-04), Brad Finstad (MN-01), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Jared Golden (ME-02), Daniel Goldman (NY-10), Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34), Jenniffer González-Colón (PR-At Large), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Michael Guest (MS-03), Ashley Hinson (IA-02), Erin Houchin (IN-09), Darrell Issa (CA-48), David Joyce (OH-14), David Kustoff (TN-08), Greg Landsman (OH-01), Susie Lee (NV-03), Mike Levin (CA-49), Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-03), Kathy Manning (NC-06), Lucy McBath (GA-07), Carol Miller (WV-03), Max Miller (OH-07), Blake Moore (UT-01), Nathaniel Moran (TX-01), Jared Moskowitz (FL-23), Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Wiley Nickel (NC-13), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Chris Pappas (NH-01), Mike Rogers (AL-03), John Rose (TN-06), C. Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02), Patrick Ryan (NY-18), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Adam Schiff (CA-30), Brad Schneider (IL-10), David Scott (GA-13), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Mike Simpson (ID-02), Eric Sorenson (IL-17), Darren Soto (FL-09), Greg Stanton (AZ-04), Michelle Steel (CA-45), Bryan Steil (WI-01), Haley Stevens (MI-11), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Claudia Tenney (NY-24), William Timmons (SC-04), Dina Titus (NV-05), Norma Torres (CA-35), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Lori Trahan (MA-03), David Trone (MD-06), Jeff Van Drew (NJ-02), Mike Waltz (FL-06), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Tim Walberg (MI-05), Susan Wild (PA-07), Brandon Williams (NY-22), Frederica Wilson (FL-24), Joe Wilson (SC-02), and Rudy Yakym (IN-02).
Read the letter HERE.
