From “Crime of Passion” to “Love Does Not Kill”: The Murder of Einav Rogel and the Role of Na’amat Women’s Organization in the Construction of Violence Against Women in Israel

This study examines the actions of the Na’amat women’s organization and its allies in Israel, vis-à-vis the court and the press, in the legal-feminist struggle to fight violence against women. Using the 1991 murder of Einav Rogel by her ex-boyfriend Gilad Shemen as a case study, we argue that, in the public debate following the murder, Na’amat and its associates helped to overturn a prevalent press narrative. Specifically, their campaign tackled misleading press representations, such as use of the term “crime of passion”. This accomplishment is framed within concerted efforts, since the 1970s, to turn the issue of violence against women into a comprehensive public problem that requires special attention by authorities.