By Amelie Botbol
JERUSALEM — Israel’s first lady, Michal Herzog, renewed her call for Hamas terrorists to be held accountable for the sexual violence they perpetrated during their massacre and kidnapping on Oct. 7, 2023.
Herzog wrote a piece in Newsweek in November, 2023, “The Silence From International Bodies Over Hamas’ Mass Rapes Is a Betrayal of All Women.”
In an interview with JNS, Herzog — a lawyer and mediator by profession — said:
“We have to keep talking about it not only from an Israeli point of view but from a universal perspective, protecting women in the world, because this is bound to happen in another conflict.”
She and her husband, President Isaac Herzog, opened the President’s Residence in Jerusalem to the people of Israel to assist them in overcoming the national trauma.
“It’s been a total change in what we do. We never thought we would see over a thousand bereaved families or that I would have an employee card at Sheba Medical Center [in Ramat Gan] because I go to visit the wounded so often,” Michal Herzog said.
“Meeting and supporting the hostage families as well is part of these issues that we did not expect to be dealing with, but which fill us with a sense of purpose.”
Herzog addressed allegations that some male officers in the Israel Defense Forces ignored warnings from female subordinates of an impending attack from the Gaza Strip ahead of Oct. 7.
“I think the vast majority of Israelis want to put aside their disagreements.
“I am very grateful for the involvement of Jewish communities around the world. When we work together, when we care about each other, we are the strongest and can help each other the most.”
Q: Regarding the silence over Hamas’ sexual violence, is the silence still deafening?
A: The fact that UN Under-Secretary-General Pramila Patten came to Israel and published a report saying that what happened on Oct. 7 was a systematic, premeditated act of violence represented a bit of a shift in the UN stand, but we have to keep talking about it.
I think voices in the UN better understand now what we are talking about, but not all of them.
Q: Is there a dilemma between having the victims share what they have gone through, and protecting their privacy?
A: I don’t see it as a dilemma. In professional terms, it is called treatment before justice.
Obviously, you have to treat the victims before you seek justice. You first need to protect them. There are very courageous women like Amit Soussana who of their own volition came out with their story.
As time goes on there will be others.
Similarly, we see some redeemed hostages who want to share their experience and want everyone to know, and others who keep private.
If people want to share and bring to the public what they went through, they do. I don’t really see it as a conflict.
Q: Entire families were wiped out on Oct. 7. What steps have you taken to help the Israeli people recover from this tremendous trauma?
A: First of all, the place where I am currently sitting, the President’s Office and Residence in Jerusalem, has been the house of the people. We have opened it up to people from all walks of life.
We want all Israelis to feel comfortable wherever they come from, whatever their belief or religion is, whatever way of life they choose — they are welcome to share their pain and bring their story. We see thousands of people every week.
We meet a lot of the bereaved families. We either go to them or they come to us.
Some of the families who lost many of their members received a special recognition from the president in the past year. We have been trying to make everyone feel heard.
We have helped many families with the little and the big challenges they face. Sometimes it’s a request for help with housing and sometimes it’s a request to help them with education or a social problem.
Many of the families feel very comfortable reaching out to us, and we make sure all the requests we get are addressed.
Sometimes, bureaucracy is a great barrier and we try to alleviate the painful processes.
On the anniversary of Oct. 7, the president and I went on a three-day journey to the places and communities that were hurt. It was a painful but rewarding experience because we felt that we gave attention to each of the communities.
We had conversations with the people from the cities, towns, villages and army bases.
We started the day of Oct. 7 at 6:29 a.m. at the Nova site. We are really open and try to help every single family that was hurt, and I hope that we somehow succeed in alleviating their pain.
Q: There are accusations that warning signs about Oct. 7 brought by women soldiers to the attention of male superiors were disregarded.
A: What we saw on Oct. 7 and moving forward makes it very clear that women are no less capable than men, if not more in some cases, and they really make a great difference for the army and the way of thinking.
Unfortunately, I heard this from many of the families of the female soldiers and male soldiers as well, and the disregard of their warnings is very painful now because it brought horrible results.
I think the IDF now understands that even when commanders go through their training processes, they have to listen to their subordinates and listen to such female soldiers and not disregard what even a simple soldier has to say.
You have to listen. This is one of the things required as part of a commission of inquiry that should be established and go through all the recordings, all the stories, which are endless.
For us to be able to move forward as a society, we have to go through this painful process.
Q: Are women are underrepresented in the Knesset?
A: I think that there is a lack of female voices around the decision-making tables. We know that women always have something to add and a different point of view. It is so important to hear their voice.
Bring your voice as a woman. Don’t be afraid to bring your agendas, your beliefs.
Q: Do you believe that Hamas must be defeated entirely?
A: I am not sure I am in a position to answer such a question since it is more of a strategic and even military question. I know that we cannot go back to the way it was before Oct. 7, this is totally unacceptable.
One major issue I have been dealing with since Oct. 7 is that of sexual violence by Hamas on Oct. 7 and afterward against the hostages.
This illustrates one of the reasons we cannot forgive or return to a situation in which Hamas has the power to go back to the way they were before Oct. 7.
The conflict between Israel and the Palestinians has been long but never was premeditated, systematic sexual violence used as a tool [as it was on Oct. 7]. It is a very important topic to keep on the world stage.
The fact that international organizations, especially those that were established to protect women’s rights such as UN Women, did not recognize what happened in Israel on Oct. 7 brought me and a group of very brave and courageous Israeli women to be the voice of those women and constantly bring this to the world’s attention.
Q: What some of your favorite things and least favorite things about your role?
A: There is no definition of my role. Each person fills it with her own agendas, wishes and needs.
This has been a very different presidential term. We started in July, 2021. The president was sworn in with a COVID mask. A year or so later, we had elections. At the beginning of 2023, we dealt with the judicial reform effort, and then Oct. 7 happened. It’s been quite a very unusual term.
There were a few fields that I was interested in to begin with, even before the war. One of my main fields was mental health. I am not a professional in the field, it just came naturally after the COVID-19 pandemic, seeing young people dealing with social distancing.
I spoke a lot about the need to regard mental health not as a shameful situation, to break the stigma, reach out for help just like with any other disease. There is nothing to be ashamed about asking for help.
After Oct. 7, the whole issue of post-trauma and mental health became huge.
Another field was the use of sports as a social agenda, something which brings people together and is helpful in social mobility.
Of course, we also have a full schedule at the President’s Residence. I find myself involved in many fields, ceremonies and visits.
Since Oct. 7, there’s been a total change in what we do.
Q: You and the president are widely viewed as a unifying force in Israeli society.
A: We have a program called “Time to Talk.” It’s about talking and listening to each other and getting to know people who are different from you, and it doesn’t matter if they wear something on their heads or not, if they live here or there, if their ways of life are different.
They understand they have to reach out to each other and listen, and when you listen, you understand that you have many more things in common that make you feel as one.
Q: Are you involved in issues pertaining to Diaspora Jewry?
A: I meet groups almost every day, solidarity missions, people who ask how they can help.
Israelis understood that whatever happens here affects every Jew in every community from around the world. From that terrible day, the silver lining is that there is more understanding.
People in Israel look at the waves of anti-Semitism around the world and are appalled. My message is to keep together. I am very grateful for the involvement of Jewish communities around the world.
