Israeli Family Law Experts Call for Criminal Charges Against Parental Alienation

A recent Duns 100 forum convened by Dun & Bradstreet brought together leading Israeli family law professionals to discuss evolving challenges in the field, including the jurisdiction of rabbinical courts over alimony, prenuptial agreements, inheritance, arbitration, and international family law. The forum highlighted how technological advances and increasing involvement of religious courts in civil matters are reshaping family law practice.

Shila Zabar Weiss, Senior Director at Duns 100, emphasized the growing complexity of family disputes and the shift from crisis management to risk management, stressing the importance of early planning and adaptation to technological changes such as AI, which impacts employment and income, thereby affecting family conflicts. She also noted the new rabbinical court procedure for urgent intervention in cases of parental alienation.

The forum featured a heated debate on parental alienation and contact refusal. Attorney Ruth Dayan Wolfner lamented a recent decline in family courts' handling of alienation cases and praised a district court ruling imposing financial sanctions on a mother violating visitation orders. Attorney Yael Gil described severe cases involving child manipulation and called for legislative action to criminalize parental alienation. Attorney Hussein Zgair highlighted the lack of expertise in courts and the need for scientific understanding of children's psychological states.

Attorney Maya Rotenberg distinguished parental alienation from failed parent-child relationships, warning against the dilution of the term and advocating for criminalization of alienation as abuse. Attorney Hila Winterov shared a case where financial penalties successfully restored father-child contact after six years. Attorney Shay Kadmi criticized the limited practical impact of current procedures and the dependency on costly experts.

Concerns were raised about lawyers meeting with minors, which some see as unethical and harmful to children, with Attorney Arthur Shani calling for clearer ethical guidelines. Overuse of serious allegations like domestic violence and alienation was said to undermine genuine cases. Attorney Ilan Yakubovich addressed the financial barriers in complex cases requiring expert involvement and the courts’ reluctance to grant interim funding.

The forum underscored the critical need for legislative reform, enhanced professional training, and scientific approaches to effectively address parental alienation and related family law challenges in Israel.