Israeli Court Orders Woman to Pay Ex-Partner 3.2 Million Shekels for Stolen Diamonds

The Tel Aviv District Court has rejected an appeal by a woman and ruled that she must compensate her ex-partner 3.2 million shekels for a bag of valuable diamonds she took from their shared apartment during their breakup. The couple had been together for about 18 years and separated in 2020. During the separation process, which included mutual restraining orders, the man claimed that while he was barred from the home, the woman took a bag containing precious diamonds, including a rare "blue diamond," that he had kept in the apartment for years.

To resolve the dispute, both parties agreed to undergo polygraph tests. The woman delayed the test for nearly two years, but when finally conducted at the Gazit institute, the results showed the man was truthful while the woman was found to be lying. In her appeal, the woman argued that the ruling was unjust, citing the man’s criminal past involving tax offenses, smuggling, and money laundering, and claimed that awarding him compensation would legitimize illicit funds entering Israel’s legal financial system.

However, Judge Naftali Shila dismissed these arguments, citing Supreme Court precedent that the justice system will not deny compensation to someone whose property was stolen, even if the property was originally acquired unlawfully. The judge emphasized that the man’s criminal offenses were unrelated to the theft of the diamonds and did not justify denying him compensation.

The court also criticized the woman’s credibility, noting that she initially admitted in 2020 that diamonds were in the apartment but claimed the man took them, only to later deny the diamonds were ever there. Conversely, testimonies from the man’s sister and a previous potential buyer of the diamonds were deemed fully reliable. Ultimately, the appeal was denied in full, and the woman was ordered to pay the original compensation amount plus an additional 20,000 shekels in legal fees.