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Book on Oct. 7 assault in Israel available on Amazon after initial delay

The technology giant didn’t reveal what alleged violation had prompted the delay regarding former Israeli spokesman Alon Penzel’s original reporting.

Israeli soldiers around the destruction caused by Hamas terrorists in Kfar Aza, near the Gaza border in southern Israel, Oct. 10, 2023. Photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash90.
Israeli soldiers around the destruction caused by Hamas terrorists in Kfar Aza, near the Gaza border in southern Israel, Oct. 10, 2023. Photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash90.

Alon Penzel, a former spokesman for Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories and author of “Testimonies Without Boundaries, Israel: October 7th 2023,” said he initially bumped into problems when trying to release the book on Amazon.

The company says it does not allow “hate speech” or a book that “promotes the abuse or sexual exploitation of children, contains pornography, glorifies rape or pedophilia, advocates terrorism, or other material we deem inappropriate or offensive.”

According to Jewish Insider, Penzel didn’t know what potential violation his book had breached. “I asked questions that were not so sensitive in order to reach the truth about the difficult aspects of what they experienced,” he told the news outlet.

He called the title “written clearly and unapologetically. I don’t think I have the right to censor or moderate what happened.”

Penzel’s work features previously unreported stories of sexual violence committed by Hamas terrorists against both men and women who were assaulted that Black Shabbat.

The nonprofit Israel-Is co-sponsored the book. Israel’s Foreign Ministry and Ministry of Diaspora Affairs have purchased dozens of copies intended for distribution to international leaders.

Kenneth Marcus, founder and chairman of the Brandeis Center, told JNS that “we understand that those who characterize us that way, rather than as the civil rights organization we are, generally aim to marginalize us or undermine our efforts.”
Michael Specht, Ramapo Town Council supervisor, called the incident “very disturbing.”
The head of the Iranian parliament spoke after U.S. President Donald Trump warned he will destroy the Islamic Republic’s energy sites if it doesn’t open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.
“It requires one clear choice: full decommissioning by Hamas and every armed group, with no exceptions and no carve-outs,” said Nickolay Mladenov stated.
“All the casualties from Iranian attacks, without an exception, are civilians,” Israel’s foreign minister adds.
At the site of a missile impact in southern Israel, the premier accused Tehran of targeting civilians and holy sites, and urged global action to stop Iranian aggression.