April 20, 2006
An Ethiopian immigrant to Israel killed his wife and then himself in the presence of the couple’s eight children.
Ilu Beja, 46, stabbed his wife Adelu, 42, repeatedly before turning the knife on himself last Friday. Both died shortly afterward in the hospital.
The Jewish Agency for Israel has approved funding an Amharic-speaking social worker to help counsel the children. The family immigrated several years ago to Israel and were reportedly in bad financial straits.
Domestic violence and poverty are two of the most difficult problems facing the Ethiopian immigrant community in Israel.
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