It is with great excitement that we announce our new partner, the Jewish Women’s Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago. JWF will be supporting our very important project to work to change Israel’s systemic response to domestic violence.
We are grateful to the Foundation for their support.
Our efforts will focus on:
1) Sensitizing decision makers and the judicial system on understanding and reacting to domestic violence accusations made by women against their partner in divorce
2) Protecting the security and welfare of Israeli protective mothers that raise domestic violence accusations in divorce.
In Israel, COVID-19 has caused a dramatic increase in reported cases of domestic violence, making the structural/legal deficiencies in the State’s response more apparent and urgent. When domestic violence is raised for the first time by protective mothers in the context of divorce, authorities often conclude that their allegations are false or “situational violence” related to the divorce and disregarded. Women’s credibility is questioned, undermined and their security is often overlooked.
Protective mothers understand the harm and danger caused to children exposed to domestic violence and, in response, want to protect them. Yet if they are accused of lying, they could lose their children. Failing to argue domestic violence continues the cycle.
