According to a statement, the initiative will be launched at a roundtable event on Thursday, and will used the forum's "innovative and unique model" aimed at preventing domestic violence, and to weigh it's possible application in Australia.
The Michal Sela Forum recently enlisted experts from Israel's counter-terrorism, homeland security, intelligence, corporate, hi-tech and community sectors through a hackathon to address issues of detecting, combating and tracking domestic violence throughout Israel, following a record high year in cases.
Today the Aus-Israel Chamber of Commerce NSW, @MicrosoftAU, the Embassy of and Michal Sela Forum launched a groundbreaking collaboration - using #innovative #tech solutions to combat #domesticviolence. More to come. Contact: press-assistant@canberra.mfa.gov.il pic.twitter.com/PFF6uyPK7q
— Israeli Embassy OZ (@IsraelinOZ) June 17, 2021
As the coronavirus forced Israelis to stay at home, crime levels dropped in 2020 with the lowest number of criminal cases opened for dozens of years – but rates of domestic violence and sexual offenses increased.
There was an 11.6% spike in domestic offenses, with 25,747 cases opened in 2020 compared to 23,077 in 2019, according to the report. Police noted that this increase took place primarily during Israel's coronavirus lockdowns.
There were 6,139 cases of sexual offenses reported to police in 2020 compared to 5,936 in 2019, the report stated. Police say the rise was primarily in sexual offenses that do not require physical contact between the parties, such as online harassment.
The total number of criminal cases opened in 2020 was 287,127 (an average of 786 cases per day) compared to 300,666 in 2019, some 301,149 in 2018 and 330,294 in 2017 (more than 900 per day), an Israel Hayom report said.
A statement released by the AICC noted that a woman was murdered every two weeks in Israel on average, and one every week in Australia.
"Despite growing awareness of its prevalence and impact, domestic violence remains an unbearable burden on our societies," AICC said in a statement. "With early intervention and detection of intimate partner violence through innovative new technology solutions, countless lives could be saved."
The roundtable discussion will invite Australian officials and government bodies to meet with the Michal Sela Forum and their newly formed partners to discuss how "Australia might adapt and implement this unique Israeli model locally."Zachary Keyser and Eve Young contributed to this report.