In war, women are always the vanquished
Israeli-Palestinian conflict perpetuates stereotypes and harms women
Bosphorus. A cruise ship with tourists from about 50 different countries. A convivial compere: A middle-aged, short and stocky Turk. Suddenly “Tel Aviv” by Omer Adam blasts on the sound system and a huge bunch of Israeli tourists — mostly women — occupy the dance floor. Everyone is cheering. A heavily pregnant, fully covered and hijab-wearing woman joins them. Cheers get louder. Her husband, the best dancer that night, joins her, and everyone gets dizzy with excitement. They are from Lebanon. Within moments, Arab tourists from Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Syria join the dance. Iranians, a small group, join, too.

This is not a dream sequence. It happened this April. Unlike countless “my-taxi-driver” stories, there is video evidence to vouch for every single detail. The Israel-Palestine “situation” is bound to get uglier and a part of the responsibility lies with those who treat women’s bodies as the battlefield.
The visuals of an Israeli woman’s almost-naked body being paraded by Hamas guerillas reinforce stereotypes and fuel vengeance. Especially within the context that the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) can boast of exemplary punishment to their officer in 2016 who was accused of sexual assault on and seeking sexual favours (in return for entry permits) from Palestinian women. The IDF apex court lifted the gag order on this case in 2021.
Women are never victors in any conflict; they are always the vanquished. Maybe Golda Meir and Hillary Clinton can trick you into believing otherwise. The corollary to this is the belief that Palestinian women have a huge say in either the nationalist or peace-building movements in the region. Palestinian nationalist movement is masculine and has all the auxiliary foibles of patriarchy. Unlike the Israeli women who can become agents of Shin Bet and must serve as IDF soldiers for at least two years, Palestinian women usually do not directly participate in violence even though they work as overground workers for Palestinian men. The “honour” culture of patriarchal societies tends to keep women alive by not pushing them to the frontline but it cannot ensure either safety or dignity.
Palestinian women—living in the battle-torn region—deserve all the accolades for holding on their own against the double whammy of Israeli territorial aggression and Palestinian patriarchy. Yet, the two Intifada (1987, 2000) have propped them up as the upholders and repositories of Palestinian national honour. It is a heavy weight to carry. Despite the recognition of the need for increased active participation of Palestinian women in the ever-escalating armed conflict, gender roles remain firmly in place, as scholars Anat Berko and Edna Erez have been highlighting. Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian records in her masterful and empathetic work how often regular Palestinian women use the word “weaponisation” for their status.
Now, add to this the fact that Hamas does not even enjoy unequivocal support among Palestinians. A March 2023 survey by the Ramallah-based Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research reveals that the opposition to the ambitious Aqaba meeting — an agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority to check violence — is higher “among men (77%) compared to women (69%)”.
If the support for Hamas appears to be growing stronger, it can be attributed partially to the Palestinian internal political situation where people are dissatisfied with President Mahmoud Abbas. The same March survey, however, also says, “The belief that the continued existence of the Palestinian Authority (PA) serves Israel’s interest stands at…among men (61%) compared to women (52%)”. What is it that Palestinian women know that men don’t?
Maybe just this commonsensical bit: The vicious cycle of violence needs to be broken and propaganda delays any attempt to do so. But, the said propaganda suits men, at least some of them. Therefore, the celebratory video clips of Israeli women hostages choking our digital streams. Hamas has struck gold for itself by doing this. On one hand, it establishes itself as the only group—thus elevating its political cache—that can hurt Israel where it hurts the most. On the other hand, it provokes Israel to unleash unprecedented collective “punishment” that keeps the conflict economy running. Without Israel’s excesses, there will be no Hamas. Without women victims, there will be no war.
Nishtha Gautam is an author, academic and journalist. She’s the co-editor of In Hard Times, a Bloomsbury book on national security. The views expressed are personal
