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Bat Melech reports spike in domestic violence hotline calls during wartime

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Bat Melech, an organization supporting women fleeing domestic violence, reported a significant increase in hotline calls during wartime.
  • Calls rose by nearly 44% in June 2025 compared to June 2024, coinciding with a war with Iran.
  • The organization notes that pressure and violence can escalate within homes during wartime, and all three of its shelters are currently full with waiting lists.

Bat Melech, an organization operating shelters for religious and ultra-Orthodox women escaping domestic violence, has reported a sharp rise in calls to its hotline during wartime. The organization warns that security emergencies are increasingly spilling over into Israeli homes, exacerbating domestic abuse.

During wartime, pressure rises, families spend longer periods at home, and violence can escalate. For many women, home becomes something they have to survive.

— Tzilit JacobsonBat Melech chairwoman attorney Tzilit Jacobson explaining the impact of wartime on domestic violence.

Figures released by Bat Melech show a nearly 44% increase in calls to its hotline in June 2025, when a 12-day war with Iran occurred, compared to 116 calls in June 2024. A similar pattern emerged following the recent Iran operation, with April seeing 100 calls compared to 83 in April 2024, an increase of about 20%. While May's figures are not yet finalized, the pressure is evident, as all three of Bat Melech's shelters are full and have waiting lists.

"During wartime, pressure rises, families spend longer periods at home, and violence can escalate," said Bat Melech chairwoman attorney Tzilit Jacobson. "For many women, home becomes something they have to survive." Jacobson added that the organization often observes the largest wave of calls not during active fighting, but after it concludes, describing it as a "quiet wave of requests for help."

That is when the quiet wave of requests for help arrives.

— Tzilit JacobsonBat Melech chairwoman attorney Tzilit Jacobson describing the timing of increased calls for help after wartime ends.

Despite the challenges, Jacobson noted a growing awareness and willingness among women in religious and haredi sectors to seek professional and discreet help. However, the crisis does not end once women and children reach safety. Families often arrive suddenly and in distress, sometimes with only an hour's notice. National service volunteer Shahar Fried, working in one of Bat Melech's shelters, described efforts to create a sense of calm and continuity for children, emphasizing that consistency builds trust and reassures them that support will remain.

What builds trust is consistency. They need to know someone will still be there tomorrow.

— Shahar FriedShahar Fried, a national service volunteer, on creating a sense of stability for children in shelters.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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