23 Israel’s ability to join has led to heightened awareness and internal scrutiny in nearly every government ministry. It has even, at long last, led to a process of legal reforms—including a critical definition of domestic abuse—thanks to a bill prepared by the Rackman Center on the basis of best practices from the IC. Alongwith advancing needed steps to combat violence against women in Israeli society, Prof. Halperin-Kaddari believes that ICmembership will also help Israel in the international sphere. “Israel has an interest in showing the global community that it strives to do the right thing with regard to human rights issues,” Halperin-Kaddari explains. While she concedes that serious hurdles remain to Israel’s ability to reach IC goals, most notably the exclusive control of religious lawover marriage and divorce, she is confident that the state will find a way. “The Minister of Justice Gideon Sa’ar, Minister of Foreign Affairs Yair Lapid, Minister of Welfare and Social Affairs Meir Cohen, and Head of the Knesset Committee on Gender Equality MK Aida Tuma-Sliman are all passionate champions of this initiative, andwith their support, I believe our request for ICmembership will succeed,” Halperin-Kaddari says. “For the sake of all women in Israel, we can’t afford anything less.” Prof. Ruth Halperin-Kaddari
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