An Israeli survivor of the October 7 massacre has issued a blistering public response after learning that Rama Duwaji, the wife of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, had liked a social media post questioning reports that women were raped during the attack.
The survivor, Tali Biner, said the suggestion that the sexual violence reported during the massacre was fabricated is deeply painful for those who witnessed the horrors firsthand.
“My message is simple,” Biner said while speaking from Israel. “Political narratives should never cloud judgment when it comes to the facts of October 7. Real people suffered, were raped, and were killed.”
“I was there,” she added.
A Social Media “Like” That Sparked Outrage
The controversy erupted after reports that Duwaji had liked an Instagram post from a pro-Palestinian influencer suggesting that reports of rape during the October 7 attacks were exaggerated or false.
The post questioned a major investigative report published by The New York Times, which documented allegations of sexual violence during the assault carried out by Hamas.
Screenshots circulating online also suggested Duwaji liked another post that included imagery from the day of the attack.
The revelation quickly triggered backlash on social media, particularly from survivors and advocates who argue that denying documented sexual violence retraumatizes victims and erases their experiences.
A Survivor’s Terrifying Memory
Biner, now 30, said she witnessed the atrocities unfold during the attack on the Nova Music Festival, where thousands of young people had gathered for a celebration that turned into one of the deadliest massacres of the day.
She spent seven hours hiding in a small camper at the festival site while armed militants stormed the area.
During those terrifying hours, she said she heard the screams of women being assaulted nearby.
“There were screams of ‘No!’ and ‘Stop!’ again and again,” Biner recalled. “Sometimes the screaming lasted for what felt like twenty minutes.”
Then, she said, there would be a gunshot.
When she finally emerged from hiding, she said the scene was horrifying.
Bodies lay scattered across the festival grounds, many stripped of clothing.
“They dismembered bodies and sexually violated women and men,” she said. “There was rape. There was torture.”
“These are facts.”
A Determination to Survive
Biner said that while she hid in the camper during the attack, she made a painful decision in her mind.
If militants found her, she said, she would rather die than endure the sexual violence she believed other victims were suffering.
“I decided that if they caught me, I would make sure they killed me quickly,” she said.
“I would never allow them to sexually violate me.”
That determination, she says, helped her maintain focus long enough to survive the ordeal.
Trauma That Changed Her Life
Before the attack, Biner worked as a surgical nurse.
But the trauma she experienced that day forced her to leave the profession she loved.
The psychological toll has stayed with her ever since.
Today she has dedicated her life to activism, speaking publicly about the events of October 7 and advocating for recognition of sexual violence committed during the attacks.
She has also turned to music and songwriting as a form of healing.
Her testimony later inspired the title of the documentary Screams Before Silence.
A Warning About Denial
For Biner, the denial of what happened that day is almost as painful as the attack itself.
“Hearing people say the sexual violence was a hoax is deeply disturbing,” she said.
She expressed particular disappointment that such claims would be supported by a woman.
“I would expect any woman to try to imagine what that would feel like,” she said. “Imagine people breaking into your home, assaulting you in front of your family, murdering people around you.”
“That is exactly what happened.”
Speaking for Victims Who Can’t
Biner says she now sees her survival as a responsibility.
Many of the victims she heard screaming during the attack were killed and never had the chance to tell their stories.
“The pain I witnessed is permanent,” she said. “But it also gave me a mission — to speak for those who can no longer speak.”
She believes denying those crimes not only harms victims but also weakens protections for women everywhere.
“Every time sexual violence is politicized or denied,” she said, “it becomes a danger to women everywhere.”