March 11, 2025
This past month, AJC New York—together with AJC’s Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights—hosted a high-level Dialogues with Diplomats briefing on the sexual violence committed against women during the Hamas attacks of October 7. The program brought together members of the diplomatic community representing 20 countries for an evidence-based and deeply sobering conversation about an often-overlooked dimension of the terrorist assault on Israeli civilians.
Moderated by Christen Broecker, Director of the Jacob Blaustein Institute, the program featured Judge (Ret.) Nava Ben-Or, former Judge on the Jerusalem District Court; Eetta Prince-Gibson, international journalist; and H.E. Meryl Frank, former U.S. Ambassador to the UN Commission on the Status of Women. Together, they shared documentation and testimony detailing the gender-based violence perpetrated by Hamas, and the urgent need for the international community to address these crimes with the seriousness they warrant.
Panelists spoke to the lack of an immediate and unequivocal global condemnation—particularly from institutions and leaders dedicated to the protection of women and girls in conflict—and examined the implications of that silence. In doing so, the conversation reinforced the importance of applying human rights standards consistently, without political bias.
This program offered the diplomatic corps and AJC leadership an opportunity to engage with credible voices examining the October 7 atrocities through a human rights lens. It also served to reaffirm AJC’s longstanding commitment to defending universal human dignity, combating gender-based violence, and ensuring that international norms are upheld in the face of terrorism.
Dialogues with Diplomats is AJC New York’s signature forum for fostering principled engagement with the diplomatic community on issues vital to the Jewish people, Israel, and the defense of democratic values worldwide.
The Dialogues with Diplomats program series is open to members of AJC’s Donor Recognition Societies who contribute $5,000 or more annually in support of AJC’s mission.
To learn more about our Donor Recognition Societies, click here.
