Activists turn fountains blood-red in protest of violence against women

Activists protesting violence against women dyed the waters in several public fountains blood-red overnight Sunday as part of a campaign to raise awareness of the issue after two teen girls were killed last week.

The so-call Gender Counter-Terrorism Unit targeted fountains in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Haifa, including one water feature in the capital’s Paris Square, which is just dozens of meters away from the prime minister’s official residence.

One activist was arrested in Tel Aviv.

The action came ahead of a nationwide strike by women in a show of force to back demands that the government and police do more to tackle the violence.

Several municipalities, companies and women’s groups said Saturday that they would back the strike. Including the two murders last week, a total of 23 women have been murdered in Israel this year, the highest tally in years.

Yara Ayoub, 16, from the Galilee village of Jish. (Hadashot screen capture)

The city halls of Israel’s four largest cities — Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa and Rishon Lezion — all said they would allow workers to participate in the strike.

Several Tel Aviv suburbs, including Ramat Gan, Bat Yam, Ramat Hasharon, Or Yehuda and Yehud also joined the strike, as did a number of Arab towns around the country, including Tamra, Tira, Sakhnin, Taibe, Kafr Kassem, Jaljulia and Qalansawe.

“If you’re a woman, you’re in. If you’re a man, join in,” a message on the Facebook page for the strike reads.

“Last year NIS 250 million was earmarked for countering violence against women, but the government is delaying the funds and so far less than 10 percent has been provided,” the strike coordinators said.

According to organizers, among the companies allowing workers to strike are the Rami Levy and Tiv Ta’am supermarket chains, the Fattal hotel chain, the Haaretz publishing group, and several high-tech firms.

The National Student Union and the Israel Teachers Union will also support the strike, though most schools will be off anyway Tuesday for the Hannukah holiday.

Sylvana Tsegai, who was found dead in Tel Aviv, November 26, 2018.

In addition, several groups, including the Women’s International Zionist Organization, the Na’amat women’s movement, the Emunah social welfare organization and the Koach LaOvdim trade union will support the strike, organizers said.

On November 26, 16-year-old Yara Ayoub was found dead in her Galilee hometown of Jish, six days after she went missing, according to police. Authorities have identified the primary suspect in the murder as a 28-year-old man from the village, and have arrested several others suspected of involvement.

Many of the details of the investigation, including the identities of the suspects, are under a court-mandated gag order for fear that their publication could hinder the investigation.

Hours later, authorities said Sylvana Tsegai, 13, was found after being raped and murdered in her Tel Aviv home, allegedly by her mother’s former partner Tesfebarhan Tesfasion, who evaded police for several days before being caught.

Protests took place last week in Tel Aviv, Haifa, Beersheba, and other locations following the pair of murders, which came to light days after the government shot down a bid for a parliamentary commission into violence against women, pushing a ministerial committee to investigate the matter instead.