Divorcee ordered to return her daughter to Israel by London judge
Israeli woman told her six-year-old daughter must go back to the Jewish state, after being flown to England in November 2017
An Israeli divorcee who left Israel and flew to England with her daughter has been ordered to return the child by a family court judge in London after her ex-husband took legal action.
The woman and the little girl, who is now six, had arrived in London in November 2017, Judge Darren Howe heard.
Her ex-husband made an application under an international convention seeking his daughter’s return.
The woman said the youngster would suffer “psychological harm” if returned to her father in Israel and complained about the way her ex-husband had behaved in Israel.
She said he had slapped the little girl and caused distress by showing her videos on his telephone when the use of “such devices” was prohibited in their community.
The man said she had tried to “exclude” their daughter from his life.
Judge Howe concluded that the woman had “wrongfully removed” her daughter from Israel.
He said the little girl had to be returned immediately.
Detail of the case has emerged in a ruling published by the judge following a private hearing in the Family Division of the High Court earlier this month.
Judge Howe said no-one involved could be identified.
He said the girl’s parents were Israeli citizens who had taken part in a traditional arranged marriage when both 19.
The woman said the marriage had broken down because the man was “lazy”. The man said they had separated because they were not compatible.
Their divorce had been registered in the Rabbinical Court of Jerusalem more than three years ago.
A rabbi had written a “divorce agreement” which said the little girl would live with her mother and spend time with her father.
Listen to the latest episode of the Jewish Views:
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
