In Jerusalem, Israel, First Lady Michal Herzog Says World Has Largely Ignored Hamas Violence Against Women

Michal Herzog, Israel’s first lady, discussed the war with Hamas and the international response to it in an interview at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem on January 2, 2024. The Jerusalem Post reported that the conversation was conducted by Felice Friedson of The Media Line. A separate Media Line report, published in January 2024, described the same interview as an exclusive and gave the date as January 2024 without naming the interviewer.

According to the Jerusalem Post report, Herzog spoke about the atrocities carried out by Hamas terrorists on October 7, especially rapes. The report said Hamas terrorists stormed the Gaza Strip border and rampaged through southern Israel, killing over 1,200 people and abducting more than 240 others. Herzog had earlier written an op-ed in Newsweek titled “The Silence From International Bodies Over Hamas’ Mass Rapes Is a Betrayal of All Women.” The Jerusalem Post reported that the piece drew wide-ranging international attention and reactions.

In the interview, Herzog said the international community needed to address violence committed by Hamas against women. The Media Line report said she described the subject of violence against women as largely ignored in global discourse. She argued that the lack of world response to violence against Israeli women was a serious concern, a point the Jerusalem Post report also recorded. Herzog also stressed the importance of accurate information in shaping public understanding and preventing harmful narratives. Speaking for those who have suffered such violence, she underscored the need to defend women who cannot defend themselves (Proverbs 31:8-9).

The Media Line report said Herzog called for a global effort to support Israel while advocating accountability and justice for all parties. She also noted the impact of the conflict on civilians and the necessity of a just and lasting resolution. The Media Line report framed her remarks as reflecting a commitment to transparency and the protection of human dignity. The Jerusalem Post report did not use that framing, and it described the conversation as covering the war with Hamas, the lack of world response to violence against Israeli women, the Abraham Accords, and antisemitism worldwide.

Herzog was born Michal Afek in 1962 in Kibbutz Ein Harod. She married Isaac Herzog in 1985, and the couple have three sons. The Jerusalem Post report said that when her husband became president in July 2021, the family moved to Jerusalem.