Here’s how Israel can treat its epidemic of sexual violence

In 2025 alone, 11,102 reports of child abuse were filed, most of them sexual. This staggering number was recently published by the Israeli Association for the Protection of Children (ELI). Year after year, we see a steady rise in reports, and despite all the talk, conferences, campaigns, and committees, it has become painfully clear that something deep and fundamental is simply not working.

More and more children are being sexually harmed. More and more women — and men — are experiencing assault, harassment, and rape. And us? We go on with our lives. We get used to it. We grow numb. We move on to the next headline.

We cannot speak about the epidemic of sexual violence without addressing the horrific sexual abuse endured by Israeli hostages in captivity. Testimonies, reports, and findings indicate that sexual violence was used deliberately as a tool of humiliation, control, and terror — against women, men, and even children. These are not “circumstances of war,” nor can they be blurred or minimized. They are severe sexual crimes with long-term psychological consequences that demand full recognition, specialized treatment, and deep rehabilitation. Silence or denial — whether in Israel or abroad — constitutes yet another violation of the survivors themselves.

If we are serious about confronting sexual violence within Israeli society, we must also have the courage to acknowledge the sexual crimes committed against our hostages, ensure dedicated professional support for those returning from captivity, and place the fight against sexual violence — including in the context of terror and war — squarely on our national agenda.

The past five years have been unbearable: the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by a prolonged and traumatic war. Israeli society is stretched thin — wounded, exhausted, overwhelmed. But precisely now, perhaps more than ever, we must say this clearly: sexual violence is an epidemic. A social, moral, and national epidemic. And we can no longer afford to treat it as a marginal issue or as someone else’s problem.

This must become a governmental and national priority. And that is why I am calling for a change in direction — one that is deep, courageous, and uncompromising.

I propose the creation of a new government role: a minister for the National Fight against Sexual Violence. A minister whose sole responsibility is to confront this crisis head-on, consistently and with all necessary tools. Not another minor clause tucked into an existing ministry. Not fragmented responsibility spread across agencies. One clear address, with authority, budget, and accountability.

It is important for me to emphasize that, in my view, there is deep significance in appointing a woman to this role. Not out of exclusion or blame, but out of accumulated understanding — of lived experience, professional knowledge, and the capacity for listening that grows from years of engagement with sexual trauma. Many women have themselves experienced harassment, abuse, or ongoing threats to bodily autonomy. They bring with them sensitivity, credibility, and a profound systemic understanding of the quiet and complex dynamics of sexual violence. A woman leading this effort can become a natural address for survivors of all genders, ensuring that this issue is treated not as a fleeting headline but as an enduring, human, and determined mission.

What would such responsibility include?

• Serious, sustained funding to combat sexual violence — not as an “add-on,” but as a national goal.
• A comprehensive educational program, from early childhood through adulthood: children, teens, soldiers, educators, social workers, police, legal professionals, workplaces, leisure spaces, bars, and public environments.
• The establishment and expansion of treatment centers for survivors and their families. Today, families often wait three years or more for treatment, and even then, assistance is usually limited to the direct survivor — while the entire family is in crisis.
• Advanced, effective legislation: laws that truly protect, deter, and recognize the complexity and long-term consequences of sexual trauma.

Just like COVID — this crisis needs one commander. When COVID erupted, we understood that we needed one person at the helm, with the authority to lead, coordinate, and act. We did not debate whether it was a “private issue” or a “sectoral problem.” We recognized it as a threat to us all.

Sexual violence is exactly that kind of threat.

It is time to stop getting used to it.
It is time to stop patching over this pain.
It is time for dedicated, determined, and accountable leadership.

I call from here for the appointment of a minister for the National Fight against Sexual Violence — now.
Not tomorrow.
Not after the next report.
Now.