Israel: Ethiopian immigrant murders wife at absorption center

Ayanawo Farada Sanbatu:

Aschalen Abebe, a 36 year-old Ethiopian immigrant, was arrested Monday morning on suspicion that he stabbed his separated wife, 27-year-old Yeshie-Mebrete Abebe to death at the "Haruv" absorption center in Be'er Sheva.

The couple immigrated to Israel ten months ago with their two children, aged eight and seven.

Police said the man was still carrying the alleged murder weapon when he was arrested. The couple had been separated for some time and was in the midst of a divorce.

Despite the fact that the women told absorption center employees that her husband was threatening to hurt her, the matter was not reported to police.

The husband's threats were reported to a social worker and the head of Ethiopian Jews at the Jewish Agency, Moshe Bahata. The Jewish Agency decided to transfer Abebe to the "Klisher" absorption center which is also in Be'er Sheva. Yeshie-Mebrete Abebe remained at the "Haruv" center with her children.

"After checking out their mutual complaints, we hoped the situation would cool down but the man arrived this morning to the absorption center and killed his wife. We continuously tried to bring peace to their household," Bahata told Haaretz Monday.

Abraharm Nagosa, Chairman of an umbrella group of Ethiopian immigrant organizations, said that the Jewish Agency has rejected recurring offers that they arrange workshops on marriage in the western world, which could have, in Nagosa's opinion, prevented the murder. An offer to organize courses on Israeli lifestyle was also nixed, Nagosa said.

In 2006, there was an attempted murder at a Be'er Sheva absorption center. In May 2006 a Ethiopian immigrant stabbed his wife, injuring her severely, and then tried to kill himself as he thought his wife was having an affair with another man.

The children of the couple will be temporarily taken care of by absorption center workers until a long-term solution is found. After the seven days of mourning, the Jewish Agency and Welfare Ministry will begin checking the transfer of the children to foster parents.

Yeshie-Mebrete Abebe will not be buried in a Jewish cemetery as she has yet to complete her conversion to Judaism.

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