“If it’s possible to rehabilitate a violent offender, we’ll do it, but first and foremost we must ascertain that these criminals will be punished,” Netanyahu said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he “sees violence against women as terrorism,” and that “we must punch these violent men in their faces.”
Netanyahu made the statement at the opening of the ministerial committee on violence against women Wednesday.
The prime minister said he intended to bring about two results, one for the victims and the other for the perpetrators, according to Maariv. “The victims are women who suffer from violence and beatings,” Netanyahu said. ” We are committed to implementing the existing programs. I understand that there is more room in the budget than I thought but they are not being used. An unused budget is as if it doesn’t exist. We know what amount is available and we will work to obtain it, and, if necessary, to add to it,” Netanyahu added.
“The second matter is dealing with the violent men,” Netanyahu said. “I see violence against women as terrorism in every respect, and terrorism is not dealt with only by treating the victim. No one would think to fight a war on terrorism without dealing with the terrorists. If it’s possible to rehabilitate a violent offender, we’ll do it, but first and foremost we must ascertain that these criminals will be punished.”
Netanyahu, who heads the committee, added that he would meet once every two weeks with the team of ministers and work towards setting goals on improving the situation.
An emergency program to combat domestic abuse worth NIS 250 million was approved by the government in June 2017, but is yet to receive the required funding.
The initiative includes a public rehabilitation program for victims of domestic violence; a rehabilitation program for attackers; education and public awareness efforts; and a comprehensive policy change in the Israel Police’s approach to domestic violence.
In her role as chairwoman of the Knesset’s Transparency Committee, Zionist Union MK Stav Shaffir convened a special meeting to examine the failure to finance the emergency program to combat domestic violence.
A Finance Ministry representative told the meeting that it had not participated in the inter-ministry committee tasked with fighting domestic violence.
“We did not participate in the committee,” said the representative. “The government’s decision was not budgetary, rather only a matter of principles. Since the government’s decision was not budgetary, there was no designated budget for its implementation.”
As reported by The Jerusalem Post