"On December 15, the Marxist-feminist Katha Pollitt followed Letty’s example and challenged the feminist silence in a piece published by The Nation. Like Letty, Katha herself had been silent for many months. She wrote: “This silence sits oddly with how quick our movement has been to credit much iffier claims and to raise consciousness around sexual misconduct that falls far short of rape. What happened to the clarion call to ‘believe women’? What happened to #metoo? Where’s the Women’s March? Feminist Majority? The National Women’s Studies Association?”
Below: Families of female Israeli hostages release graphic abduction footage to pile pressure on Netanyahu | CNN A year later, what are these women like now? Ask campus scarf people. TD
"I feel that I've been writing versions of this piece for the last year. And yes, I am weary of this subject--but not as weary or as traumatized as Israelis must be after a year and almost a month of being attacked, wounded, displaced, murdered, kidnapped--and blamed for having provoked Iran.
"To date, the shameful feminist silence continues, heels dug right in.
"In this issue of the estimable journal, Dr. Catherine Chatterley, the Editor of Antisemitism Studies, focuses on the immediate denials of sexual violence--despite or because just such violence had occurred. In her article, Dr. Amy Elman correctly refers to the silent ones as "feminist impersonators." For a long while, I've described them as "faux feminists." Doing so, gives me no pleasure. Here's a necessary perspective: Academics, leading literary lights, international organizations, politicians, the media, have not only remained silent--they have actively blamed Israel for daring to defend herself.
"Educated, progressive, pro-woman advocates ought to be better than the common herd but they aren't.
"How did a globalized version of Stalinism trump their feminist ideals? How could these "feminist impersonators" have chosen gender over sex based rights; become so invested in the legalization of surrogacy and in trans rights over and above women's rights; queer and bi rights over and above the rights of women not to be raped, beaten, trafficked, honor killed, tortured, and murdered?
"But mainly, why are so many radical feminists so hard-hearted against Israel? So inclined to believe the worst about the Jewish state when the allegations are simply not true?
"I wrote this piece in the summer of 2024. In the hope that this abbreviated timeline may be of use, in case you haven’t already read all about it, I share it with you.
Why Were Feminists Silent After October 7? By Phyllis Chesler: "In the early 1970s, I experienced antisemitism among leftwing and lesbian feminists. It was not political. I was told that Jews like me were too pushy, too smart, too sexy, and were taking over the movement. Such views sent me straight to Israel. A small group including myself, Aviva Cantor Zuckoff, the founder of Lilith Magazine, and Cheryl Moch held a press conference on the subject of antisemitism; for years, we tried to interest leading Jewish feminists in joining us to discuss the problem. At the time, neither Andrea Dworkin nor Letty Cottin Pogrebin were interested in such a discussion.: . . ."
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