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Israel

Population size: 

9,053,300.[1]

Number of people experiencing domestic abuse each year:

Figures released by the charity group Women’s International Zionist Organization) (WIZO) show that 10,000 restraining orders are issued each year, and the police open an average of 60 domestic violence cases on a daily basis.[2]

Statistics show that there are over 200,000 battered women in Israel and half a million children exposed to domestic violence each year.[3]

No research on male victims or other gender identities.

Cost of domestic abuse to the economy each year:

No research.

Estimated % change due to COVID-19:

Increase of tens of percentage points in reports of suicidal intentions expressed by domestic violence victims. Data provided by ERAN – a non-profit organization that provides emotional first aid on the phone and online – shows that 729 domestic violence-related calls and emails were received from March to May, compared to 537 from January to March, an increase of 35.8 percent.[4]


Current law and policy:

Domestic abuse is forbidden by law and is a criminal offence. Legal aid is provided to both parties to resolve a domestic abuse case through the court system with equal representation (Regulation 5(1) Legal Aid Regulations 5733 – 1973). The aid is provided to each of the family members without discrimination on the basis of age or sex.

There are two main legal protections available. Firstly, the Protective Order, which allows for the removal of a violent member of the family. The Order can be made by the Family Affairs Court or by the local magistrates court. It does not require the payment of a court fee. If the judge is of the opinion that the issue of a protective order is justified, a preliminary protective order shall be granted for a few days only. In his decision the judge will set a date for an additional hearing in the presence of both parties, in order to let the other party have the opportunity of defending himself. A Protective Order can be applied for by a very broad range of people. They simply have to be a family member, it is not limited to the spouse only. The court can remove the violent person for up to three months. It can be extended up to a year.[5]

Secondly, a Threatening Harassment Restraining Order is available pursuant to the Prevention of Threatening Harassment Law, 5762 – 2001. This requires a person to abstain from an act or series of acts. This could include stopping and contact, keeping a certain distance in a residential space or place of work, or to stop carrying arms.


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