Court Halts Father-Son Visits Amid Allegations of Abuse

A family court in Tel Aviv has ruled against mandatory visitation between a divorced father and his two teenage sons, who refuse to see him. Judge Segalit Ofek accepted the recommendation of welfare services to not force contact, citing the sons' strong opposition and failed attempts to reconcile the relationship.

The parents divorced about a decade ago, and the sons have lived with their mother. Following a period of alternating weekend and weekday visits, the sons severed contact in February 2024, accusing their father of abuse, which he denies. A social worker filed a police complaint, but the father's attorney claims it was dismissed for lack of evidence, though without providing substantiation.

The mother subsequently filed a lawsuit in July 2024 seeking supervised visits, stating the sons reported further abuse over the years and required professional intervention. The father countered that his ex-wife had brainwashed the children and excluded him from their education and health matters. He proposed emotional or family therapy instead of supervised meetings and suggested a neutral party assess the rift.

Initially, welfare services recommended a gradual resumption of contact within a therapeutic framework. While both parents cooperated with therapy, their views on each other remained polarized. Attempts to involve the sons in therapy failed, even with the mother's encouragement.

Judge Ofek attributed a significant portion of the estrangement to the father, finding the children's descriptions of abuse to be authentic and distressing. She also noted the mother's negative perception of the father, which influenced the children, but did not find evidence of parental alienation. The court rejected the claim that all therapeutic options were exhausted, stating that repeated attempts to engage the sons were met with strong resistance. Given their age and reported experiences, forcing contact could cause more harm than good. "I see no choice but to leave the family and the children alone, lest greater harm be caused to the minors," the judge wrote, suspending visitation for the time being. The father can file a new request if conditions change and all parties agree to resume contact.