Large signs bearing the image of Maya Vishniak, who was murdered at age 22 about six years ago, were put up Sunday at several locations across Israel ahead of the expected verdict in the murder trial of Amit Almog. The campaign is part of the "The Shame Should Change Sides" initiative, which says it aims to remind the public that a young woman’s life was cut short and her family has waited years for justice.
The signs were displayed on Rokach Boulevard at the Expo digital screen, on a bridge on Aba Hillel Road in Ramat Gan, on the Aluf Sadeh bridge, and on the BSR towers in Ramat Gan. Another sign was placed at the entrance to Tel Aviv near the Ramat Gan Stock Exchange area.
Yael Verd, who founded the initiative, said, "Years have passed since Maya was murdered, but time does not dull her family’s pain or lessen our duty as a society to remember. Just before the verdict, we wanted to bring Maya back into public space, to remind people that behind every criminal case there is a life cut short and a family waiting for justice. The shame should remain in only one place, with the one who chooses violence."
In December, the Tel Aviv District Court convicted Almog of murdering his partner Maya Vishniak after he admitted to intentional murder as part of a plea bargain. Under that deal, he withdrew claims that he had acted while insane or with diminished responsibility, and prosecutors said they would seek up to 26 years in prison, plus a suspended sentence and compensation for Vishniak’s family.
The prosecution said the agreement gave some weight to Almog’s mental state and his drug use at the time, but did not change the finding of intentional murder. Vishniak’s family said that 5.5 years after the brutal killing, and after the prosecution’s "persistent and uncompromising" effort, Almog had been charged and admitted to intentional murder, adding that they hope the court imposes the maximum possible sentence.
