'It never happened': Norman Finkelstein challenges Oct. 7 sexual violence on Hasan Piker’s podcast

Norman Finkelstein, on Hasan Piker's podcast, disputed evidence of sexual violence on Oct. 7, citing an archive of 10,000 photos and digital segments. He argued that no frames show rape, and drew a parallel to Nat Turner's revolt. Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy responded, citing the Civil Commission's findings of systematic sexual violence.

Norman Finkelstein appeared on Hasan Piker's streaming program last Friday to discuss his new book, Gaza's Gravediggers: An Inquiry into Corruption in High Places, and challenged official accounts of the October 7, 2023, attacks. He pointed to research by Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy, which references an archive of 10,000 photographs and digital segments from the day. Finkelstein calculated that a single researcher working eight hours a day would need over seven months to review the material, and argued that no verifiable evidence of sexual violence could have escaped notice. He stated there is not one single frame of Hamas committing rape or sexual violence, and drew a historical parallel to Nat Turner's 1831 slave revolt. In response, Elkayam-Levy said the Civil Commission concluded that Hamas used sexual and gender-based violence as a systematic part of the attacks, citing survivor testimony and authenticated visual documentation. She emphasized the importance of sharing the report Silenced No More to preserve the truth and ensure accountability.