COMMENTARY: Maisar Ottman was murdered yesterday in front of her children. The Haifa resident was a divorcee, just like 40 percent of women killed in incidents of domestic violence. The words she wrote and the testimony of her loved ones show that she was a lioness, a leader, a strong woman, and a loving mother. "Throw me to the wolves and I shall come back as leader of the pack," she wrote in a post on social media. Perhaps she was trying to lift the spirits of women undergoing the same tough experiences that she went through.
Every time I am approached by the family of a victim of domestic violence, I see that the victims, like my sister, Michal Sela, and like Maisar Ottman, were strong and powerful women. They were women who loved themselves and who refused to accept the murderous domineering of their partners. Unfortunately for Ottman, she was born at a time where the murder of women is seen as something that is predestined.
Imagine if 24 people were killed in terrorist attacks in the space of a year. The government would immediately convene and its response would be merciless. It would be the most urgent issue on the Knesset agenda. So why is it that when 24 women are murdered by acts of terrorism in their own homes that all we hear is idle chatter?
Even the governmental committee established to eradicate domestic violence has only managed to raise about half the budget required to protect women - a budget that the government committed to in 2017.
Where is the government that will raise the flag of zero tolerance to violence against women? Femicide should not be the destiny of any woman; there is a lot the government can do to prevent it.
We at the Michal Sela Forum are not waiting for someone to save us; we are developing innovative and pragmatic solutions to prevent domestic violence and save the next victim. One of those solutions is the "Michal Sela Dogs Project" – trained guard dogs that are provided without cost to women whose lives are in danger.
The dogs are intended for women like Ottman, who was not living with her violent partner at the time of her murder. They are given to the women and their children for life. We are currently holding a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for the project so that we can save the lives of more women. Search Google for the "Michal Sela Dogs Project" and contribute generously. Every shekel you donate will be dedicated to saving lives.
Violence can be defeated.
Lili Ben-Ami is head of the Michal Sela Forum, a nonprofit seeking to fight domestic violence in Israel.
