Family Law – The »Neglected Backyard« of the Israeli Legislature

Although Israel is a modern and essentially Western state that takes a leading role in many fields, family law in Israel, in many respects, does not live up to Western standards. A modern legislation that takes into account changes of family models and new intra-familial gender roles is lacking. In addition, two parallel and partly concurrent legal jurisdictions of civil and religious courts often lead to uncertainty and injustice. When it comes to matrimonial or divorce matters, as well as child support or child custody, women suffer from gender-discriminatory attitudes, which are manifested in the jurisprudence of religious and sometimes also civil courts. Clear separation of church and state would help facilitate just civil marriage and divorce proceedings and outcomes and nullify the jurisdiction race. However, such a development is highly unlikely in the current political climate.

Responsible: Dr Ralf Hexel, Head, Middle East and North Africa

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