Two Years Later, Activists Intensify Campaign to Deny October 7 Sexual Violence

A coalition including the DSA and endorsed by Rep. Rashida Tlaib demands The New York Times retract its landmark investigation into Hamas sexual violence — despite widespread independent confirmation

On December 28, 2025, marking the two-year anniversary of The New York Times’ investigative report “Screams Without Words: How Hamas Weaponized Sexual Violence on Oct. 7,” a coalition of activist groups launched a coordinated campaign demanding the newspaper retract the article.

The timing—coming just days after Israeli hostage Romi Gonen publicly testified about being sexually assaulted during 471 days in Hamas captivity, revealing the persistent effort by some activists to undermine documented evidence of sexual violence committed by Palestinian terrorists.

According to the Jewish News Syndicate (JNS), the campaign involves prominent organizations like the Democratic Socialists of America, which NYC-mayor elect Zohran Mamdani is a member of, and Jewish Voice for Peace. It was reportedly endorsed by Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), climate activist Greta Thunberg, author Sally Rooney, and French Member of European Parliament Rima Hassan.

Campaign by activist group “Writers Against the War on Gaza” condemning the New York Times investigation into Hamas’ use of sexual violence on Oct. 7. Credit: Writers Against the War on Gaza

Through a website called Boycott, Divest, Unsubscribe, the coalition characterizes the Times investigation as a “racist, genocidal lie” and demands not only retraction but also an independent review of “anti-Palestinian bias” at the newspaper and calls for an arms embargo on Israel.

Notably, journalists associated with The Grayzone, Al Jazeera, and Drop Site News have been particularly vocal in amplifying the campaign. Max Blumenthal called the article “historically disgraceful Israeli propaganda,” while Aaron Maté described it as “atrocity propaganda used to manufacture consent for genocide.” Laila Al-Arian, executive producer of Al Jazeera Fault Lines, characterized it as a “disaster.”

Max Blumenthal, editor of The Grayzone, describes the New York Times investigation as “Israeli propaganda.” Credit: Max Blumenthal on X

Independent Corroboration Contradicts Denialism

This renewed denialism campaign emerges despite substantial independent corroboration of sexual violence on October 7 and against hostages. In March 2024, UN Special Representative Pramila Patten reported finding “reasonable grounds to believe” that conflict-related sexual violence, including rape and gang rape, occurred across multiple locations during the attacks. Her team reviewed over 5,000 photographic images, 50 hours of footage, and conducted 34 interviews with survivors, witnesses, and first responders.

Furthermore, in May 2024, International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan stated there were reasonable grounds to believe Hamas leaders bore responsibility for “rape and other acts of sexual violence as crimes against humanity.”

Troubling Timing and Selective Empathy

The timing of this renewed campaign comes just days after released hostage Romi Gonen’s detailed testimony about sexual assault during captivity.

The campaign also reveals the ideological motivations behind such denialism. Critics have noted that Jewish Voice for Peace explicitly frames its opposition through identity politics, stating “As Jews, we are all too familiar with how propaganda is used to dehumanize an entire people.”

Webpage for the Jewish Voice for Peace campaign demanding the New York Times retracts its investigation documenting Hamas’ use of widespread sexual violence against Israeli women on Oct. 7. Credit: Jewish Voice for Peace

As one Atlantic article observed, these activists appear “so fully invested in the cause of Palestinian liberation” that they are “casting aside the progressive ideals that they regularly invoke.”

The consequences of such denialism extend beyond the immediate political debate. Survivors of sexual violence both from October 7 and from captivity face not only the trauma of their experiences but also public campaigns questioning their credibility. This represents a profound betrayal of the “believe women” principle that these same activist circles champion in other contexts, creating what critics have termed a “#MeToo_Unless_Ur_A_Jew” standard.

Credit: metoo-unlessurajew website

The evidence of sexual violence on October 7 and against hostages rests not on a single newspaper article but on testimony from survivors, forensic evidence, eyewitness accounts, video footage, and investigations by the United Nations and International Criminal Court. Attempts to discredit this evidence by focusing on perceived flaws in individual reporting reveal what critics describe as an agenda prioritizing political narrative over documented human suffering — a troubling standard for any movement claiming to champion justice and human rights.