Speech by the Deputy Head of Mission Ms Noga Caspi at the opening of the exhibition "She's Gone", created by Keren Yehezkeli Goldstein and Adi Levy, organised by ΣΠΑΒΟ/Association for the Prevention and Handling of Violence in the Family
"Sweet, beautiful, smiling girl, with bouncy curls and bright eyes.
Michal Sela, a 32 years old social worker, was brutally murdered in her home on October 3, 2019.
Her husband, Eliran Malul, took a knife and brutally stabbed her, leaving her bleeding to death for nearly 20 hours, in front of the eyes of their eight-month-old baby girl.
The story shocked Israel.
The inscription was on the wall. It was written in red and screaming blood. But the human heart, as well as the tendency to repress the possibility that "worst of all" could happen, causes closing the eyes and denying the dangerous reality that knocks on the door. Until it is too late.
I remember myself, those days, being also a mother of three, wondering how Michal’s baby daughter is feeling in her mother’s absence. How she misses the smell of her mother’s skin. How she has to replace the warmth of her mom’s loving embrace with the embrace of loving aunts, grandma, and her mum’s friends.
I grew up in a quiet picturesque village called Beit Zait located in the outskirts of Jerusalem. In a village, as you all well aware, also here in Cyprus, everybody knows everybody. The everyday life in Beit Zait was quiet with no troubling incidents. Couple of meters from my house was the house of Michal Sela’s family. A normative kind and wonderful family. I knew Michal, though we had some age difference.
Knowing Michal and her family, the heart could not believe. If this happened to her, one could never imagine who would be the next victim.
Could the shocking murder be expected in advance and prevented? How could any of the people in question fail to understand that Michal is in a violent relationship?
As we all know, ladies and gentlemen, the answer is clear: PREVENSION is the key. PREVENTION BY EDUCATION.
This horrific tragedy led Michal’s sister, Lili Ben-Ami, to act, to save the next Michal, the next murdered woman. She founded the "Michal Sela Forum", an organization that works to prevent violence against women through innovation, technology and thinking "outside of the box". There are more organizations, of course, which are working for this noble cause, but unfortunately, there is still much more to do.
International Women's Day, that we mark today, is usually dedicated to celebrating the achievements of women in all spheres of life, be it political, cultural, social or economic. It is therefore a day where the world unites to further promote gender equality and calls on actions to achieve it.
This evening, though, here, we are stepping in a different path, a dark trail, not bringing in the bright and positive side of women’s achievements, but touching upon the painful, fearful side of womanhood.
We, as a society and policymakers, must raise the awareness of the suspicious signs that characterize violence against women, reach out and help any woman in distress, and of course, allocate resources for this.
Ladies and gentlemen, violence against women is an unfortunate cross borders dangerous phenomenon. The exhibition “She’s Gone” created by the talented Israeli artists, Keren and Adi, has a powerful emotional impact. Just as “one picture worth more than a 1,000 words” and it is a privilege to have it here, in Cyprus, as part of its tour around other counties in the world, in addition to the educational workshops to be held regarding this important topic.
I wish to congratulate SPAVO for initiating this important event and for their significant role, not only tonight, but throughout the year. I wish also to thank them for giving the Israeli embassy in Cyprus the opportunity to contribute to their noble cause. I wish to thank as well the Ministry of Justice and Public Order for the support and for AIGIA School of Art for hosting the exhibition.
Ladies and gentlemen, as a tribute to all the victims of violence, let’s do our best to stop violence before it starts or before it is too late.
It is our moral duty."