Dima Bushnak (19) shot dead in northern Israel: ‘They didn’t want her to work or study’

Dima Bushnak
age: 19
shot to death: May 14, 2023
Residence: Sallama, Israel
Origin: Arabic
Children: none
Perpetrator: -

On Sunday, May 14, just before midnight, 19-year-old Dima Bushnak was shot in her car near her home in the Bedouin village of Sallama, about 17 kilometers north of Nazareth in Israel.

Camera footage showed Dima trying to escape the attacker by quickly reversing her car. However, she collided with a wall, after which a man with a firearm came at her and fired a bullet. The man ran away, then changed his mind and ran back to fire a second shot.

Dima was taken to the hospital in critical condition and died of her injuries on May 15.

Family members said Dima had received threats because of her lifestyle. Dima wore Western clothes, worked in the city and planned to continue her studies at Haifa University. "They didn't want her to work or study," the family member said.

Police are looking for the perpetrator(s) and have not named a motive.

What is an honour killing?

An honour killing is a murder in the name of honour. If a brother murders his sister to restore family honour, it is an honour killing. According to activists, the most common reasons for honour killings are as the victim:

refuses to cooperate in an arranged marriage.
wants to end the relationship.
was the victim of rape or sexual assault.
was accused of having a sexual relationship outside of marriage.

Human rights activists believe that 100,000 honour killings are carried out every year, most of which are not reported to the authorities and some are even deliberately covered up by the authorities themselves, for example because the perpetrators are good friends with local policemen, officials or politicians. Violence against girls and women remains a serious problem in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Serbia and Turkey.

Ralph Geissen

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Ralph Geissen