Divorce reform blocked in Israel as women try to fight for freedom
August 1, 2008 12:13 am World Divorce Stories
The women of Israel have suffered enough with freedom rights, but married women who want to get away from their violent husbands are finding it even more difficult. This week the women of Israel suffered another major setback in divorce reform as Shas blocked the finances bill by using a coalition threat.
The law as it stands says that a man must serve his wife with as get (religious divorce) before any financial settlements can be make, this is extremely damaging and now men are using the get as blackmail, since women are unable to receive any financial rights - not even the National Insurance Institute (Bituah Leumi) payments reserved for single mothers - until after the get is served.
Women of Israel have no freedom from abusive husbands and it the new bill was allowed it would allow them to have, it is clear that Shas want to keep the women imprisoned at all costs, Shas MKs said that if the new bill came out it would ruin families, but of course they are happy to keep the blackmail in place and keep the women of Israel tied into violent relationships, it seems Israel are living in the middle ages.
There are 10,000 women denied divorce in Israel, according to the Israel women’s network, also it seems that Israel is the only western country who does not see evidence of abuse grounds for divorce which is truly shocking, according to a University of Haifa study, one out of every seven women in Israel is in a abusive relationship. What’s even more frightening with then men being able to blackmail their wives with the get, they can basically keep them chained forever with the divorce hanging over their heads.
If the bill would be granted it would enable women to achieve financial freedom, at least whilst they are struggling from their abusive husbands. She can try and set up a new home, free herself from potential blackmail and become financially independent, without the get she would not be able to remarry, but that would probably be the last thing on her mind.
