Story perspectives

Israeli Courts Apply Hague Convention in Cross-Border Divorces

By Drooid · Sep 18, 2026, 8:03 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Family lawyer Judith Meisels says couples abroad encounter tangled divorce, child-residence, and property laws.
The Institute for Jewish Policy Research estimates 630,000 Israelis lived abroad in 2021-2023.
Including about 325,000 children born abroad, the Israel-connected population totals roughly 955,000.
Israeli courts apply the 1980 Hague Convention to determine a child’s residence in return cases.
Property division follows law of the country where the couple established their marital home.

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Story summary

Family lawyer Judith Meisels says couples abroad encounter tangled divorce, child-residence, and property laws.
The Institute for Jewish Policy Research estimates 630,000 Israelis lived abroad in 2021-2023.
Including about 325,000 children born abroad, the Israel-connected population totals roughly 955,000.
Israeli courts apply the 1980 Hague Convention to determine a child’s residence in return cases.
Property division follows law of the country where the couple established their marital home.