A recently released report by the Israeli Observatory on Femicide (or the killing of a woman based on her sex) revealed that murder of women has risen dramatically since 2021. Analysis also found that half of the women who were killed in domestic abuse or in honor killings in 2022 were Arab, a shocking statistic as Arabs make up only 21% of Israel’s population. The report also found that cases of Arab femicide were much less likely to be solved than parallel cases involving Jewish Israelis.

While this statistic is both tragic and frightening, it is also worth noting that the rate of femicide per capita is much lower in Israel than in the United States or Europe and certainly than in the Middle Eastern countries that border Israel.

Please pray for justice for the victims of violence and their families.  Please pray for more resources for women who suffer from domestic violence or who feel unsafe at home or in their relationships. Lastly, please pray for an increased awareness of this issue, especially as regards Arab women in Israeli society.