Israel: "Honour" killings, including response by government authorities; Arab and Israeli response (2008 - January 2010)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Publication Date | 11 February 2010 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | ISR103374.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Israel: "Honour" killings, including response by government authorities; Arab and Israeli response (2008 - January 2010), 11 February 2010, ISR103374.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4e425c862.html [accessed 1 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
According to the Associated Press (AP), "honour" killings "refer to [the] murder of women by relatives for allegedly sullying the good name of the family, usually because of sexual misdeeds" (5 Mar. 2008). Similarly, Haaretz states that "honour" killings are perpetrated by family members and are "meant to remove some perceived stain on the family's reputation" (16 Mar. 2008). Examples of actions which negatively affect one's family honour include wearing clothing perceived as immodest, conversing with men, accusing male family members of abuse (IsraelNationalNews.com 1 Dec. 2008) and marrying outside the faith (Haaretz 16 Mar. 2008). Two media articles describe an "honour" killing in Kalansawa (also spelled Kalansuwa) in which a 15-year-old boy stabbed his 20-year-old sister because he disapproved of her wish to go out (IsraelNationalNews.com 12 Jan. 2009; Jerusalem Post 13 Jan. 2009).
American Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) News describes "honour" killings as "a big problem within Israel's Arab communities" (11 Feb. 2008). A 12 January 2009 IsraelNationalNews.com article states that "[s]everal young Israeli Muslim women have been murdered in recent years for allegedly dishonoring their families." Several sources report that there have been numerous "honour" killings within the Abu-Ghanem clan (Haaretz 16 Mar. 2008; IsraelNationalNews.com 12 Jan. 2009; New York Times 4 Mar. 2008; AP 5 Mar. 2008). IsraelNationalNews.com states that the Abu Ghanem clan numbers approximately 2,000 people (1 Dec. 2008). Further information on the size of the Abu Ghanem clan could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. According to the United States (US) Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2008, in December 2008, police arrested a member of the Abu Ghanem clan for the alleged murder of his sister and believed that she was the ninth woman in the clan to have died as a result of an "honour" killing (25 Feb. 2009, Sec. 5).
In an article by the Jerusalem Post, a police official notes that, in the case of an attempted "honour" killing in the village of Na'ura, the perpetrator of the attack planned his sister's murder and informed his family of his intentions (12 Mar. 2008). The article notes that the perpetrator was "warmly praised by some members of his family for the attempted murder" (Jerusalem Post 12 Mar. 2008). In an ABC News article, a police superintendent is quoted as saying that a family will plan an "honour" killing including "how the murder will take place, who will carry it out and find an alibi for the murderer" (11 Feb. 2008).
Information on the response by government authorities to "honour" killings was scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. However, several media sources state that, in 2008, a man who was a member of the Abu Ghanem clan was sentenced to sixteen years in prison for the "honour" killing of his sister (Haaretz 16 Mar. 2008; AP 5 Mar. 2008; New York Times 4 Mar. 2008). Both the New York Times and the AP explain that the reason for this conviction was because female relatives came forward and testified against the male relative instead of maintaining a code of silence (New York Times 4 Mar. 2008; AP 5 Mar. 2008).
According to the AP, Arab women's rights activists are of the opinion that police do not respond adequately to "honour" killings and that "honour" killings are viewed by the police "as a part of Muslim culture" (5 Mar. 2008). ABC News reports that Lamya Naamneh, a spokesperson for an Arab women's group, stated that, in the past, police viewed "honour" killings as an Arab problem but that police are doing "a better job" due, in part, to greater public awareness of "honour" killings (11 Feb. 2008).
Information on Israeli response to "honour" killings could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
American Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) News. 11 February 2008. Simon McGregor-Wood. "Despite Inroads Into Women's Rights Honor Killings Continue."
Associated Press (AP). 5 March 2008. "Israeli Arab Jailed for 16 Years Over 'Honor Killing' of His Sister." (Haaretz)
Haaretz [Tel Aviv]. 16 March 2008. Roni Singer-Heruti. "Woman Wounded from Gunfire in Suspected 'Honor Killing' Attempt."
IsraelNationalNews.com. 12 January 2009. Maayana Miskin. "'Honor' Murder in Israel."
_____. 1 December 2008. Maayana Miskin. "Brother Suspected in Clan's Tenth Murder."
Jersualem Post. 13 January 2009. "Teen Suspected in Sister's Honor Killing." (Factiva)
_____. 12 March 2008. Yaakov Lappin and Ruth Eglash. "Brother Praised for 'Honor Killing' Attempt." (Factiva)
New York Times. 4 March 2008. Isabel Kershner. "Israeli Court Hands Down 16 Year Sentence in 'Honor Killing'."
United States (US). 25 February 2009. "Israel and the Occupied Territories." Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2008."
Additional Sources Consulted
Oral sources: Attempts to contact an official from the Knesset Committee on the Status of Women and representatives of Adalah, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), Assiwar, Kayan-Feminist Organization and Women Against Violence (WAV) were unsuccessful. The Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel (ARCCI) was unable to provide information.
Internet sites, including: Adalah - The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, Amnesty International (AI), The Arab Association for Human Rights, Assiwar, The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), B'Tselem, European Country of Origin Information Network (ecoi.net), Fédération internationale des ligues des droits de l'homme (FIDH), Freedom House, Human Rights Watch (HRW), Israel Knesset, Israel Knesset Committee on the Status of Women, Israel Ministry of Justice, Jerusalem Center for Women, The Mossawa Center - The Advocacy Center for Arab Citizens in Israel, Sikkuy - The Association for the Advancement of Civic Equality in Israel, United Nations (UN) Division for the Advancement of Women, UN Refworld, Women Living Under Muslim Law (WLUML).
