In 2023, 22 cases of gender-based murders of women were perpetrated in Israel by men. The ethnic breakdown showcased a significant divide, with 50% of victims being Jewish and 41% hailing from the Arab sector, encompassing Druze, Bedouin, and Muslim women. In 86% of the instances, the victims shared a prior relationship with the perpetrators, who were nearly all (95%) from their own ethnic communities. 59% of known killers were either spouses or family members of the victims.
[Jerusalem, January 1, 2024] – The Israel Observatory on Femicide, established in 2020, has released its annual report, offering a thorough examination of gender-based murders in Israel throughout 2023. The report, available in Hebrew, Arabic, and English, meticulously documents femicide cases, aiming to shed light on the stark realities surrounding these tragic incidents and inform strategies for prevention and justice.
Prof. Shalva Weil: “Gender-based murders are a crime against humanity and they have to stop. They occur in every country, but no country has suffered the exponential rise in femicides this year as a result of the barbaric attack of Hamas on 7 October in which women and girls were raped and murdered and targeted because they were women.”
Key Findings on Femicide in Israel in 2023
22 Women Lost to Gender-Based Violence: In 2023, 22 women fell victim to gender-based violence in Israel, underscoring the persistent threat faced by women. Notably, all perpetrators involved in these tragic incidents were men. The report indicates a slight decrease (8.3%) in femicide cases compared to the preceding year.
Perpetrators Known to Victims: In 86% of cases, victims had a prior relationship with the perpetrator, often within the same ethnic community. Furthermore, in 59% of known cases, the primary suspect was a spouse or family member of the victim.
Ethnic Breakdown of Victims: Among the victims, approximately half were Jewish, while 41% belonged to the Arab sector, including Druze, Bedouin, and Muslim women. Despite a slight decrease in femicide among Arab women compared to Jewish women, the disproportionality remains stark since Israeli Arabs make up 21% of the total Israeli population. The report highlights the tragic instance of the first recorded femicide of a lesbian woman from the Druze community.
Prof. Shalva Weil: “Despite the fact that violence is on the rise in the Arab sector in Israel and has doubled itself since 2022, the rate of women murdered is relatively lower, and the rate of femicide of Israeli Arab women, killed because of their gender, is slightly decreased compared to the Israeli Jewish population.”
Prevalence of Specific Means of Violence: More than half of the femicides were perpetrated through stabbing, while only 18% were via gunshot.
Underreported Cases of Domestic Violence: Only three victims had reported instances of domestic violence to the police, two murderers had previous criminal records, and in one case, an ex-partner lodged a complaint. In nine other cases (41% of incidents), neighbors and family members were aware of prior violence inflicted on the victims by the murderers, yet this crucial information remained unreported to authorities.
Diverse Motives Behind Femicides: Motives behind femicides in the Arab sector often revolved around the perceived harm to family honor due to the victim’s lifestyle, particularly in unprecedented cases like the targeted killing of a lesbian woman from the Druze community. Moreover, six cases involved victims killed by their partners during altercations, with four of these cases having prior knowledge among family and friends about the perpetrator’s history of violent attacks against the victim.
Mental Health and Substance Influence: Three murderers claimed to be in a psychotic state during the killings, with two of these individuals had been previously hospitalized in psychiatric wings. Additionally, three cases involved femicides perpetrated under the influence of alcohol, shedding light on the intersections of mental health and substance abuse in these tragic incidents.
Age Profiles of Victims and Perpetrators: The average age of the victims stood at 38.1 years, with a range spanning from the youngest victim at 18 to the oldest at 76. Contrastingly, the average age of the suspects or murderers is 35.8, with perpetrators ranging from as young as 14 to as old as 86.
Impact of Wartime Context: A third of all femicide cases occurred after the outbreak of the current war, indicating a potential correlation between escalated conflicts and increased violence against women.
Prof. Shalva Weil warns: “One third of all Israel’s femicides have taken place since the outbreak of war this year. Meanwhile, the majority of women are stabbed and not shot by the murderers. However, the stress rate is rising in Israeli society, and domestic violence may be on the rise.”
As these findings illuminate the distressing realities of femicide in Israel, the report emphasizes the necessity for a united effort involving communities, authorities, and support networks. This collective approach aims to address systemic issues, bolster support structures for victims, enhance reporting mechanisms, and foster awareness to prevent such tragic incidents from recurring.The Israel Observatory on Femicide remains committed to providing critical insights and advocating for systemic changes to combat gender-based violence. The Observatory encourages widespread engagement and collaboration to effect tangible change in addressing this pressing societal issue.
Femicide and the events of October 7, 2023
While the IOF does not usually include murder of women as a result of terrorist acts, some of the killings which took place on 7 October can be considered to be femicides, in that women were targeted as women, and underwent sexual violence prior to their murder. The Hamas terrorists, who infiltrated the Israeli settlements near the Gaza Strip, had manuals with instructions how to rape women before killing them: many women were sexually assaulted, their intimate parts were dissected, and they suffered other atrocities, like mothers being forced to see their children beheaded. According to Ynet from 31 December 2023, which is based upon civilian reporting, approximately 300 women were murdered in the Gaza strip settlements in Israel. It should be pointed out that hundreds of men were also murdered, and some raped.
Promptly responding to the onset of the conflict, the Observatory swiftly issued a statement and circulated an opinion piece among 300 organizations in Israel and internationally. This communication urged collective condemnation of the horrific aggression targeting women and girls.
The Israel Observatory on Femicide was established in 2020 by Prof. Shalva Weil at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The purpose of the Observatory is to collect and monitor data and narratives about the murder of women, both quantitative and qualitative, and provide means for building an ongoing knowledge base to eradicate the phenomenon. To learn more visit the official website at https://en.israelfemicide.org or reach out to Prof. Weil at +972-2523553