Israeli, Algerian lawmakers clash over denial of sexual violence on Oct. 7

"They went to a party and they were gang-raped, and kidnapped, and shot in the head," Farkash-Hacohen told Benhadida, to which she just shook her finger at the Israeli MK.

 Signs against what protesters describe as international silence over sexual violence perpetrated against Israeli women during the attack by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas on southern Israel on October 7, are displayed on a bench at a protest in Jerusalem, November 27, 2023 (photo credit: REUTERS/DEDI HAYUN)
Signs against what protesters describe as international silence over sexual violence perpetrated against Israeli women during the attack by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas on southern Israel on October 7, are displayed on a bench at a protest in Jerusalem, November 27, 2023
(photo credit: REUTERS/DEDI HAYUN)

National Unity Party MK Orit Farkash-Hacohen was at the Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference this week, where she had a confrontation with Ha'afida Benhadida, a former member of the Algerian Senate, who denied the sexual violence done to Israeli women on October 7.

Farkash-Hacohen was alongside Labor MK Efrat Rayten as the Knesset's representatives for the conference, and during a panel attended by the two, which tackled sexual violence against women in conflict zones, Benhadida claimed that the sexual assaults against Israeli women on October 7 did not happen at all.

The video below shows a part of Farkash-Hacohen's confrontation with Benhadida:

National Unity Party MK Orit Farkash-Hacohen confronts Algerian lawmaker on denial of Oct. 7 sexual violence (creidit: Courtesy)

"They went to a party and they were gang-raped, and kidnapped, and shot in the head," Farkash-Hacohen told Benhadida, to which she just shook her finger at the Israeli MK.

After the confrontation

After the incident, Farkash-Hacohen contacted and spoke personally with the president of the organization Silvana Koch-Mehrin (Germany), who condemned Benhadida's statements.

 Ruth Porat, Orit Farkash - Hacohen, Prof. Yossi Matias, Karin Meir (credit: TOMER FOLTYN)
Ruth Porat, Orit Farkash - Hacohen, Prof. Yossi Matias, Karin Meir (credit: TOMER FOLTYN)

Earlier this month, United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, found substantial evidence that October 7 victims and hostages in the Gaza Strip were sexually abused and raped by Hamas terrorists.

Tamar Uriel-Beeri contributed to this report.