A father has been banned from leaving Israel for 8,000 years unless he pays his ex-wife £1.8million in child support due to local divorce laws.
Noam Huppert (44), originally from Australia cannot leave Israel before December 31st 9999, or until he receives the payment.
Two children are born to Mr Huppert and his ex-wife. After his ex-spouse had returned to Israel in 2011, his children were just three and five months old. He moved back to Israel in 2012 to reconnect with them.
Noam Huppert, 44 (pictured) originally from Australia, has been banned from leaving Israel for 8,000 years unless he pays his ex-wife £1.8million in child support due to local divorce laws
His ex-wife brought the matter to court quickly and Mr Huppert received a “stay-of-exit” order. This was due to an alleged future debt of 5000 Israeli Shekels each month, until his children reach 18. News.com.au reports.
Huppert is an analyst chemist. He said he was ‘locked’ in Israel from 2013 and cannot leave, not even for work.
He added that other Australian citizens have encountered ‘this literally life-threatening experience’ and have been ‘persecuted by the Israeli “justice” system only because they were married to Israeli women’.
It isn’t the first time Israel has been criticised for its divorce laws.
This is a document that Mr Huppert shared in a Facebook post. He cannot leave Israel until December 31, 9999 or until he makes the payment
Sorin Luca, director of No Exit Order (2019 documentary on this issue), said, “As amazing as it sounds in the West, this explains why many fathers never get divorced.”
They are afraid. Men end up being homeless or forced back home by their economic circumstances.
“The system is designed against fathers. Campaigning for over 20 years has brought the issue to the Israeli Government, with many female and male lawyers – family and criminal law – making representations and establishing committees against false claims and for shared parenting.
‘Once a father has the order, he can be imprisoned for up to 21 days, whether he has the ability to pay or not – without any investigation of his finances.
“Men should pay at least 100% of their income for the benefit of their children.
‘Israel expects men to pay in full for a wife’s lifestyle, and in the rare cases a man may get custody of the children, he is still expected to pay the child support to the absent mother.’