Israeli prison rapists claim they raped ‘in self-defence’

Content warning: this article contains discussions of rape and sexual assault, which some readers may find upsetting

Far-right lawyers acting for four members of a group of Israeli prison guards exposed when footage of them anally raping a helpless Palestinian prisoner have announced the legal defence they will be filing if they are prosecuted: they raped in ‘self-defence’.

‘Raped in self-defence’ is now a defence if you’re a far-right Israeli

Some observers have wrongly attributed an Israeli article covering the announcement as referring to the case of hospital director Dr Adnan al-Bursh, who was raped to death in an Israeli prison, though this by no means invalidates their reactions:

In fact, the article refers to the July 2024 case of an unnamed victim in footage deliberately leaked by then-chief prosecutor for the Israeli military, Yifat Tomer Yerushalmi – she was suspended and is being prosecuted after the military mounted an intensive search for the whistleblower.

The Israeli regime has long claimed that anything it wants to do to Palestinians is ‘legitimate’, including fascist ‘security’ minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who qualified only that it should be for ‘national security’ and called the arrest of the “hero” soldiers “shameful”.

But the prevailing attitude is perhaps best exemplified by Netanyahu’s Likud MP Hanoch Milwidsky, who said – responding directly to a question about the filmed rape – that “Yes! If he is Nukhba [Hamas unit], everything is legitimate.” Milwidsky has himself been accused of rape and sexual assault by several women; days after the accusations became public, Netanyahu promoted him.

This attitude of arrogance and impunity extends within Israel far beyond the borders of military bases and the walls of the Knesset. As the Times of Israel notes:

After the arrests [of the soldiers], a mob of far-right activists and lawmakers broke into the base and demonstrated, and later stormed the Beit Lid base where the suspects were being held and questioned.

A poll by Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies found that only 21% of Israelis believe soldiers that rape Palestinian prisoners should face criminal prosecution.

Disgusting

Journalist Yvonne Ridley pointed out that the accused received a “heroes welcome” when they appeared in public:

Supporting Israel means you support a rogue state where rape is viewed as an act of self defence and suspects are given a heroes welcome (see below). This is a country where incest is still legal. pic.twitter.com/cCt1Z9SOpq

— Yvonne Ridley 4 Glasgow (@yvonneridley) November 21, 2025

Israel and its supporters, along with many western media and politicians, continue to claim that Palestinian raiders perpetrated rape during the 7 October 2023 raid. United Nations investigators and even Israel’s prosecutor found no evidence for this. Other alleged atrocities, such as the infamous ’40 beheaded babies’ and ‘babies in ovens’ claims have also been disproven, yet continue to be repeated. Israel has made it a criminal offence to challenge its atrocity propaganda.

The United Nations has condemned Israel’s use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and a form of torture in captivity, going as far as to say, in a report earlier this year, that the detention of Palestinians is “characterized” by it:

Israeli detention is characterized by widespread and systematic abuse and sexual and gender-based violence. These practices have increased significantly in severity and frequency since 7 October 2023, following orders and statements of the Minister for National Security Ben Gvir who is in charge of prisons. The mistreatment of Palestinian detainees by Israeli authorities is a result of an intentional policy that utilises sexual, reproductive and other forms of gender-based violence to humiliate and degrade Palestinians in detention. This was observed across several facilities, temporary holding locations, during interrogation and while in transit.

Featured image via the Canary