It’s been said better and more thoroughly than this but employing “women and children” rhetoric in the wake of an ethnic cleansing, where the men are framed as barbaric and expendable, is absolutely heinous and inappropriate.
Yes, women face somewhat unique (but not totally unique—there have been reports of male hostages facing forced sodomy) threats and obviously children are the most vulnerable out there, but men are being brutalized and murdered as well and they aren’t “more” deserving of this occupation.
Discussions of misogyny are obviously welcome in any context but framing male victims as lesser (less victimized, less worthy of saving, less innocent) just furthers the dehumanization that affects all victims of said ethnic cleansing. You are giving an allowance to the racism and bigotry that is utilized to justify their deaths, torture, starvation, maiming.
Anyone actually educated in meaningful feminism should easily recognize this.
Even if you don’t want to recognize the humanity of these men (which is, again, racist and heinous), do you think the women and children you claim to care for are better off without these men? Their fathers, brothers, children, cousins, lovers…
Please, do not forget the Palestinian men. Please, learn to understand that criticizing the patriarchy (and, yes, pushing back against bad faith “not all men” discussions) should not mean signing off on an ethnic cleansing.
Palestinians are innocent; age and gender does not change that.
End the occupation for the women, men, and children.
