Chief Rabbi David Yosef: ‘We Must Uproot Domestic Violence, It Is A Life And Death Matter’

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — To mark the International Day For Elimination of Violence Against Women, the Israeli Justice Ministry released shocking statistics about a 44% rise in cases of domestic violence. Every nine days in 2025, a woman has been murdered in Israel. 34 women lost their lives simply because they were women. 27 of them were killed in incidents of domestic violence, and seventeen were shot with a firearm.

“This is an unprecedented reality,” says Tal Hochman, CEO of the Israel Women’s Network, who warns of the urgent need for a national plan to combat gender-based violence.

The Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi David Yosef, issued a sharply worded letter calling for the eradication of the phenomenon and urging immediate intervention by rabbis and state authorities: “It is a halachic obligation to turn immediately to law enforcement and professional services and to uproot this scourge from among us without delay, for this is truly a matter of life and death. Such a thing must not exist in Israel.”

In his letter, Rabbi Yosef underscores the public and halachic responsibility to act decisively in severe cases:

“From here, we call upon all community rabbis and public leaders wherever they reside to stand with the victims, to guide and direct them, and at times to involve immediately the professional services and state authorities, and to eradicate this affliction from among us, for this is truly a matter of life and death. Such a thing must not be in Israel.”

According to Rabbi Yosef, the rabbinical courts already operate under a clear and uncompromising directive regarding all forms of domestic violence: “In the rabbinical courts, the instruction is clear, unequivocal, and leaves no room for doubt: any manifestation of violence of any kind is dealt with immediately, with great severity and seriousness, by the esteemed judges.”

Rabbi Yosef highlighted the moral and religious severity of violent behavior within the family:

“Sadly, from time to time we hear of severe cases of quarrel and violence within the home, even to the point of raising hands. This is exactly like the behavior of the nations,  lacking character and values, having lost all human dignity, and our holy Torah calls such a person a ‘wicked man.’”

The “Bat Melech” organization, which operates shelters for battered women under the Ministry of Welfare, welcomed the Chief Rabbi’s statement:

“We were heartened to see the Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi David Yosef, stand with victims of violence and issue this important call… condemning abusive spouses of every kind. This is a major development — the Rabbi declares firmly: ‘Stop the concealment; we need to deal with the problem.’”

Rabbi Yosef’s strong call does not come in a vacuum. It was released a day after new data showed that since 2015, more than 300 women have been murdered in Israel — an average of 27 per year. Experts warn that severe violence occurs across all sectors and communities, and that any substantial suspicion must be reported to professional and enforcement authorities.

The latest figures are especially troubling: according to a new report by the Knesset Research and Information Center, 2024 was the deadliest year of the decade with 35 women murdered. Even more disturbing, within the first eight months of 2025, the number of women murdered has already equaled the total for all of 2024.

The Chief Rabbi has thus joined the growing chorus demanding a determined, active, and public fight against domestic violence, framing it as a moral, halachic, and civic imperative of the highest order.