Eilat: Alleged gang rape of 16-year-old in Israeli hotel branded 'crime against humanity' by Netanyahu

Claims 30 men queued outside intoxicated teenager's hotel room to attack her one by one

The alleged gang rape took place in a hotel in the popular coastal resort town of Eilat (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Two men have been arrested after a group of 30 allegedly gang raped a teenage girl in an Israeli hotel, in a case which has shocked the country.

Both the prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the defence minister Benny Gantz – due to become prime minister next year in a coalition deal – have expressed their outrage at the alleged crime in Eilat, a popular resort town on the southern tip of Israel.

According to local media reports, the 16-year-old girl travelled with a friend to Eilat earlier this month and met some men while drinking at a bar, who were acquaintances of her friend.

Testimony from the case suggests afterwards the group returned to the hotel before the men queued up outside the 16-year-old girl’s hotel room waiting to rape her one by one.

The victim is said to have been intoxicated and no bystanders at the hotel appear to have attempted to intervene. She filed a report of the alleged offence to police on Friday last week.

“This is shocking, there is no other word. This is not only a crime against the girl, this is a crime against humanity itself that is worthy of all condemnation,” Mr Netanyahu tweeted.

Mr Gantz also weighed in, tweeting that his heart was with the girl and that “you are not alone”.

“From yesterday afternoon, I’ve been trying, and failing, to understand: What is a man who is standing on a crowded line with dozens of others, on the way to a room where a young, disoriented girl is lying down, trying to prove?” he also tweeted.

“The police investigation is still underway, but it’s important that I convey a message to those who participated or bore witness to this case or others: The only thing you’ve proven is what depravity of your soul and morality you are capable of.

“Before the criminal aspect, there is a moral soul-searching that must be done here.”

Protests have sprung up in some Israeli cities in support of the teenager under the slogan, “We won’t be silent anymore”.

Some have drawn connections with the Ayia Napa case in Cyprus last year, when a British tourist initially accused 12 Israeli men of raping her at the resort, before later retracting her allegations which prompted her own prosecution by the authorities.

The opposition leader Yair Lapid said he could not understand how any man could take part and called for pictures of the accused to be published, so they would “be ashamed, you scum”.

The two suspects arrested are both Israeli residents from the northern city of Hadera and aged 27. Both were due to appear for a preliminary hearing in court shortly.

A team of detectives has been formed to investigate the incident and reports in Israeli media suggest they anticipate making further arrests soon. Investigators also reportedly believe some of the suspects filmed the attacks on their phones.

According to Israeli TV station Channel 13, the girl has told police one of her alleged rapists offered to send her a video of the incident.

However, the owner of the hotel in Eilat has said there is no evidence to back up the claims of 30 men queuing outside to rape the teenager.

Pnina Maman, speaking to Israeli TV, said she had given CCTV footage from the hotel to the police and accused the media of “shaming” her establishment in their coverage of the alleged rape.