Channel 14 presenter sparks controversy: "It is a type of rape"
Dana Varon sparked an online storm following an extreme comparison made during a live broadcast, while discussing an initiative to integrate Haredi women into national political lists without their consent.
A storm on social media erupted after Channel 14 presenter Dana Varon used harsh language during a discussion regarding an initiative to promote the representation of Haredi women in national politics. Her remarks, in which she compared the inclusion of women in a list without their consent to "rape," sparked numerous reactions.
The discussion began following the presentation of a project in which a list of approximately 75 Haredi women was compiled, intended to serve as inspiration for promoting the integration of women into national politics. The initiators of the list explained that these are women with a significant record of public service, coming from all segments of Haredi society — Ashkenazi, Sephardic, Hasidic, modern, and mainstream. According to them, if Haredi women are already serving and leading in the municipal arena, there is no reason they should not aspire to integrate into the Knesset as well.
However, not all the women whose names appeared on the list were pleased with the move. One of them is Malkali Bloy Hanuka, director of the lobby for the Haredi woman in the Knesset, who was interviewed on Channel 14 and expressed resentment that her name was added to the list without her being asked and without her consent.
Following these events, Dana Varon addressed the issue on air, saying:
"It is a type of rape. You are raping women by placing them in places they do not want to be. In the name of patronage. It reminds me of other things that men try to do, and then you all cry out, so why rape someone into being on a list they do not want to be on?"
Varon's harsh statement quickly sparked a wave of reactions, with some users believing it was legitimate criticism of including women without their consent, while others argued that the use of the term "rape" in this context is completely out of proportion and harms the meaning of the concept.
