Israel's unsubstantiated rape claims against Palestinian resistance fighters have made headlines across the world, while similar claims by Palestinians against Israeli occupation forces have received minimal attention. This, argues Arun Gupta, is a return to the Jim Crow-era racist tropes that depict brown and black people as inherent threats to white women.

In this week’s MEMO Conversation we talk to Arun Gupta, an investigative journalist about his latest article titled 'Israel has manufactured an industrial-scale version of Jim Crow rape hoaxes'. Gupta's article, heavily referenced and meticulously detailed, challenges the mainstream narrative surrounding the events of 7 October. Gupta speaks about the motivations and mechanisms behind the propagation of alleged mass rape by Hamas. He talks about the historical parallels that underscore these fabricated allegations, likening them to Jim Crow-era racist tropes that depict brown and black people as inherent threats to white women.

Describing the challenges he faced in publishing his findings, particularly in an environment where mainstream media often aligns with Israel's narrative without rigorous verification, Gupta highlights how Israel's Civil Commission on October 7 Crimes has played a central role in amplifying these unfounded rape allegations, despite a glaring lack of concrete evidence.

Furthermore, Gupta shed light on the broader implications of these rape hoaxes, including the weaponisation of feminist movements like #MeToo and accusations of anti-Semitism to stifle dissent and evade scrutiny. He also discussed the stark contrast in media coverage regarding the sexual abuse allegations against Palestinians by Israeli forces, which receive minimal attention compared to the widely circulated, yet unsubstantiated, claims against Hamas.

Arun Gupta is a investigate journalist. He has written for the Daily Beast, the Raw Story, the Guardian, the Washington Post and other publications including the Intercept. Gupta is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute and the author of the upcoming book 'Apocalypse Chow'.