Domestic violence bill fails amid chaotic scenes in Knesset

A law that would have mandated domestic abuse offenders in Israel wear an electronic tagging bracelet has been narrowly voted down amid furious scenes in the Knesset.

The legislation fell 54-53 on its preliminary reading.

Around a dozen female opposition MK’s, many crying ‘Shame’, held up monitoring bracelets as national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir urged the Knesset to abandon the proposed measure, which would have helped enforce restraining orders against abusers.

Gvir is advocating for his own version of the legislation, which he says will balance men’s rights against the needs of women at threat of domestic abuse. He was surrounded by several opposition MK’s who protested loudly and vociferously as he concluded his speech.

Sitting in as Knesset speaker, Shas MK Uriel Busso ordered around 10 lawmakers to be removed, with Yisrael Beytenu MK Evgeny Sova then berating him for “throwing women out of the plenum.”

Shoshanna Keats Jaskoll, activist and founder of women’s rights organisation Chochmat Nashim, told Jewish News: “Ben Gvir led the charge for bill to be delayed. But Netanyahu also voted against it. Gvir’s claim is that he wants there to be fewer false claims against men, because there are people here who are active in saying false claims drive men to suicide. Even if that’s the case, he could still have passed the bill in its first reading and changed it in its second and third reading.

“It’s either, or both, revenge against the opposition for their opposition to the (judicial) reform or for not negotiating about it until after it stopped. Doing this does not add to the safety of his people and he’s the Internal Security Minister. Women are so under represented in the Knesset at this point; I think we’re 15%. Two full parties don’t have any women. The other parties have a minimal amount of women. It’s simply shocking and our health and our safety is at risk, on top of our religious rights. This government is a pretty scary government for me.”

Kalela Lancaster, National Council of Jewish Women Israel programme manager, told Jewish News: “The law mandating domestic violence offenders to wear electronic bracelets should have been a simple, cross-party consensus issue. We know that it will save lives, and after yet another horrific murder of a woman by her husband – the seventh woman murdered so far this year – we would expect this to be the number one priority for National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. The fact that the government threw out this law is an alarming indicator of the threat it poses to the well-being and safety of Israeli women.”

David Davidi-Brown, chief executive of the New Israel Fund told Jewish News: “It is disgusting that the minister responsible for keeping all Israelis safe has blocked a measure that could save the lives of women who have already experienced violence and abuse. As our grantee the Israeli Women’s Network have said: “54 members of the Knesset, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, decided to deny thousands of women who live in terror and fear the right to security. The last few days only sharpen for us the danger presented by the judicial coup. Without the High Court, there will be no one to protect us. Politicisation of the judicial system means a danger not only to women’s rights, but to women themselves.”