17 Women Murdered. The Next Government Must Take a Different Approach

Misrak Avi, 43, was recently murdered in Petah Tikva, allegedly by her husband, in front of their four children at home. That is how November, the month for raising awareness of violence against women, began. Avi is the 17th woman murdered this year in a gender-based killing, and the fourth killed by her partner in recent weeks. Just last week, Tamara Amran, 21, and Yana Zikova, 43, were murdered, and in early October, Nania Melda, 40, was murdered.

The figures show that the scale of killings within families remains severe year after year. According to the Michal Sela Forum, at least 17 women have been murdered within their families every year for the past six years. The year 2026 is not over, and we are already at 17 murdered women. I fear that by the time these words are published, the number will, God forbid, have grown.

The wider picture is even harsher. According to police data published by the Knesset Research and Information Center, 269 women were murdered in Israel in criminal incidents between 2015 and 2024, excluding terror attacks. In 2024 alone, 35 women were murdered, the highest number in the decade examined. These figures cover all murdered women, not only those killed within their families.

We are in the days after the elections: a time of political realignment, coalition negotiations and policy planning for the coming years. The symbolism of this moment should not escape us. The fight against violence against women, and strengthening their safety at home, at work and in public spaces, must be central to discussions about the next government’s guiding principles and the nation’s priorities for the years ahead. The next government must turn women’s safety from an awareness-month slogan into a binding national goal: a dedicated budget, one government body accountable for results, timelines, metrics and an annual report to the Knesset, and full coordination between ministries. Women at risk and their children need comprehensive support, from immediate protection to long-term assistance. The aim is to prevent tomorrow’s headline about the next murder.

Violence against women is not a “private family matter,” and it is not a “women’s problem.” It is a problem for society as a whole, and it must be treated like any other threat to public safety. Real prevention does not rest only on law enforcement, although we can certainly expect and demand more of it. It runs through the education system, workplaces, entertainment venues, sports, the media, social media, and above all, through us – men.

Violence against women is a social problem, and in most cases it is a problem of men, so men must also be part of the solution. Not because men are the enemy – far from it. But men have the ability and the access to talk with other men – in WhatsApp groups, in hallways, in locker rooms, in conversations between friends. These are the places where social norms are built, where they can be changed, and where boundaries can be set. When a man draws a line with a friend, when a father talks with his son about respect, when a whole community refuses to look away, something shifts. Healthy, positive masculinity is an integral part of preventing violence against women.

At ASLI, we believe that positive, in-depth and constructive education for men is an essential pillar of preventing violence, especially violence against women. This work must continue all year round and shape every part of our lives. The goal is to give men the tools to prevent situations from becoming violent, as well as to recognize problematic situations, raise the alarm and intervene appropriately. The aim is to prevent the next assault, the next murder.

Responsibility lies first with the government, but not only with the government. Violence against women must stay on the public agenda all year round: in the Knesset, in the media and in public discourse. Not only when a particularly shocking murder leads the news, and not only during awareness month.

The next government will set its priorities for the coming years. Women’s safety must be a fundamental, binding part of the guiding principles of any government that is formed. The next government must ensure meaningful, ongoing education to prevent violence against women in schools, as part of the curriculum and led by trained staff. A government that puts women’s safety at the top of its priorities and works to achieve that goal will not be doing women a favor. It will simply be doing its job.