Police Detain 16 Suspects in Underage Weddings in Haredi Community

Dozens of police officers raided several locations within a Haredi community in the town of Yavniel on Thursday, investigating suspected underage marriages. The police stated that this action is part of an ongoing effort against the illegal practice, which they allege is occurring within a closed community primarily active in the Lower Galilee settlement.

This operation follows a similar one several weeks prior, where over 20 individuals were detained for alleged involvement in underage weddings in the same town. The recent raid resulted in the detention of 16 minors and adults from the community's close circle, suspected of either recently marrying or making concrete preparations for illegal wedding ceremonies.

According to police, these ceremonies often take place in the morning with a limited number of attendees. The location is not disclosed until the last minute, and photography is prohibited to prevent documentation. Following the religious ceremony, a separate event, often disguised as an engagement party, is frequently held for the wider community.

Knesset Member Meirav Cohen, who has been publicly campaigning against this phenomenon for the past year, visited a Yavniel council meeting on Wednesday. She demanded intervention from the town's welfare department. Cohen criticized the head of the Yavniel council for not participating in Knesset discussions or tours related to the issue, stating on X that "day by day, the lives of boys and girls who were married off by force are abandoned." She further alleged that the "sect in Yavniel already numbers hundreds of families, almost every month a girl gives birth." Cohen recounted that the council head dismissed her concerns as rumors, questioning why no indictments had been filed if they were true.