Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit has announced that failure to comply with a beis din’s ruling to give a ‘get’ is a criminal offence. He has ordered launching a criminal investigation in a case brought to him in which a Chief Rabbinate beis din ordered a husband to give his wife a ‘get’. The psak added that due to the difficult circumstances of the wife, the husband must be compelled to give the bill of divorce.

The beis din learned the father of the recalcitrant husband is the dominant player in the case and he has instructed his son not to grant the divorce. The beis din had the father-in-law arrested to detain his departure from Israel. The father turned to the High Court.

The beis din turned to AG Mandelblit asking to have the backing of the civil court system towards getting a divorce for the wife. Mandelblit has ordered a criminal investigation against both the father and husband for failing to abide to the beis din’s ruling. Others are likely to be involved in the investigation as it moves forward.

Mandelblit explains it is in the public’s interest to back the beis din’s efforts to compel the recalcitrant husband to give a divorce to his wife. By ruling defiance of the beis din is a criminal act, Mandelblit provides the tools for police to act in the matter.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)