Palestine's Fayyad deplores violence against women

Palestinian Prime Minister, Salam Fayyad Ramallah – Sona Adeek Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has condemned recent events signifying a spike in violence against women in Palestinian society. "This is a social danger that negatively affects the family and community , and it should be eliminated. Immediate legal amendments are required to combat crimes against women," he said, referring to recent abuse and murders under "honour crimes". He also insisted on the need to expedite the completion of the penal code, providing a new law with equal rights for women.
Fayyad said the murder of Palestinian Nancy Zebon by her husband on the streets of Bethlehem was "barbaric and despicable".
"The circumstances during which the crime was carried out as well as the failure to respond to the distress help calls of the wife ring a bell for danger. This cause requires serious study by concerned institutions on one hand, and the responsibility of society and citizens on the other," he said.
The prime minister said laws needed to be reviewed to ensure the establishment of rules that achieve gender equality and provide social and economic protection to women.
He said: "This heinous crime has sounded the alarm bells. This crime is shocking as it happened in daylight, before the eyes of citizens, without any action taken to save the wife from death.:
He continued: "This shows, unfortunately, a kind of disability after the concerned authorities failed to respond to the appeals of the late wife, and provide her with protection from domestic violence from which she was begging for."
Fayyad made the statements on the radio during a weekly discussion on domestic violence and non-reportage of its occurrence.
"The impact of this heinous crime and circumstances should lead us all to have a responsibility to address its cause, which is what pushed me to allocate this weekly interview for this phenomenon, and its accompanying risks,” he said.
He added: ”It is time to deal with these crimes as crimes against human life, regardless of gender, and to issue harsh sanctions against the murderous criminals."
The prime minister cited the need for public awareness and for journalists, academics and specialists to engage in a broader campaign against the phenomenon.
He added: "I would like here to address Palestinian women and all our people and assure them all that the National Authority is determined to do to its best to establish rules and principles of equality between men and women, and provide all means and capabilities to enable and maintain their place in the society in order to entrench the principles of equality and equal opportunity and social justice, and this requires to strengthen partnership with civil society organisations, particularly women's organisations."
He said eliminating violence against women was a priority for the Palestinian Authority (PA), which required an integrated package of urgent measures and policies at all levels.
Fayyad emphasised the importance of developments and radical changes in the legislation to enshrine the principle of equality stated in basic law, including the Personal Status Law and the Penal Code, to achieve justice and equality, and to reject any diminution pf the rights of citizenship.
He said: "What we seek is a progressive modern state based on the principles of justice, equality and human values, particularly the principles of human rights.”
The prime minister thanked the institutions working on women's development, saying the PA was committed to all international conventions, including the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW): "This is an urgent national need. We are determined to develop our society and human rights standards in Palestine according to the highest international standards. I have faith that our people can do it. "
"God bless Nancy. Our deepest condolences to her family and all the sons and daughters of our people," he said in remembrance of the most recent victim.
Last July last, two Palestinian girls were murdered in the north and south West Bank which shook Palestinian society. The first was stabbing of a high school girl by her father after he discovered she had failed her year. The other incident was when a young man in his thirties killed his wife in the middle of a street in Bethlehem.
Palestinian police also revealed a case earlier this week where a man bit his sister to death and buried her in the garden of their house. The girl had run away from the house of her husband, 50 years  her senior. Her father and brother allegedly conspired to kill her as an honour killing.