Israeli Court Rejects Man's Paternity Test Request Despite Mother's Consent

The Family Court in the Krayot recently dismissed a man's request to conduct a paternity test for an eight-year-old girl registered as his daughter, despite the mother's agreement. Judge Nir Zeituni adopted a social worker's report recommending against disrupting the child's established reality, as she believes the petitioner, not her mother's husband, is her biological father.

The petitioner met the mother in 2017 and had a six-month relationship. After their separation, the mother informed him she was pregnant, and the child was born in 2018. The mother is now married to another man. Although the petitioner was later registered as the child's father, he claimed this was done under "rape and/or fraud." He filed for the genetic test only in March last year after the mother demanded child support payments. He emphasized there was no risk of incest since the pregnancy resulted from a relationship between a single man and a divorced woman, and surprisingly, the mother consented to the tissue test.

However, a March court report advised against the test, noting the child recognizes the petitioner as her biological father and her mother's husband as her de facto father. The social worker stated the child's best interest in preserving her identity outweighs the parent's right to know biological truth. Judge Zeituni ruled against the test, citing potential harm to the child and the petitioner's delayed legal action, which only followed the child support demand. The judge also noted the petitioner showed no intention to establish a relationship with the child even if proven biological father.

The ruling means the question of the girl's biological paternity will likely remain unresolved, maintaining the current family dynamics. The court emphasized the child's psychological stability and identity as paramount over biological certainty.