Ruth Halperin-Kaddari leveraged her friendship with the UN’s special representative to produce a report in Israel’s interests.
Ryan Grim Feb 19, 2025
Summary of article from DropSite
On October 8, 2023, following Hamas’s attacks on southern Israel, Israeli legal scholar and women’s rights advocate Ruth Halperin-Kaddari asked her friend, UN Special Representative Pramila Patten, for help in addressing what she believed were systematic sexual assaults by Hamas. Halperin-Kaddari wanted the UN to recognize these claims. Though Patten lacked the authority to conduct investigations, Halperin-Kaddari felt Patten could give credibility to Israel’s allegations.
Patten responded cautiously, questioning the validity of the claims. This conversation eventually led to Patten visiting Israel in January 2024, despite the lack of a formal investigation mandate, which caused internal controversy within her office. After the visit, Patten published a report that Israeli officials used to support their claims of widespread sexual violence. However, the language of the report was nuanced, stating there were reasonable grounds to believe such violence occurred, but it did not confirm any organized campaign of sexual assaults.
Halperin-Kaddari referred to the report as significant and unprecedented because it would be part of the UN’s annual report and was based on Patten’s direct gathering of information. Israel is now seeking a follow-up visit from Patten to potentially blacklist Hamas for using sexual violence as a weapon in conflict. However, this is complicated by Patten’s desire to also investigate sexual violence against Palestinian detainees, which Israel has rejected.
Halperin-Kaddari and Patten’s connection was formed during their time together at the UN Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, which gave Halperin-Kaddari a credible independent perspective. Following the attacks on October 7, Halperin-Kaddari suspected sexual assaults as reports emerged of the situation on the ground. Their efforts intersect with Israel’s broader diplomatic strategy regarding international humanitarian organizations and the portrayal of accusations against Hamas.
Patten’s report, while alluding to the possibility of sexual violence, emphasized the lack of a formal investigatory mandate. It recognized that its conclusions were limited and based primarily on Israeli sources. The findings noted a need for a comprehensive investigation to fully understand the extent or organization of any such violence. Despite this, media coverage often misinterpreted the report as confirming Israeli claims, a narrative that Halperin-Kaddari continues to promote. Patten reiterated that there was insufficient evidence for widespread, planned sexual violence, directly countering the Israeli government’s assertions.
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