Child Abduction from Israel to a Country Abroad

This article addresses child abduction from Israel to a country abroad. While many automatically think of child traffickers when they think of child abduction, the most common cases of child abduction involve a violation of parental custody of children when one parent removes or retains the children in a foreign country without the consent of the other parent or legal guardian. All issues surrounding family law in Israel fall under the authority of the Israeli Ministry of Justice.

What to Do about Child Abduction from Israel to a Country Abroad

There are a number of steps that you can take if your child has been abducted from Israel to a foreign country. Israel is a signatory of the Hague Convention Law which helps ensure parental custody and children’s wellbeing are maintained.

If your child has been taken from Israel without your consent, or if you consented to a spouse or partner taking your children abroad but they were not returned, you should move quickly to ensure that the full pressure of the law will remain on your side.

This involves first going to the Central Authority, which is also known as the Department of International Affairs. You can either do this on your own or obtain the assistance of a private attorney who can help speed up the process and ensure that you are pursuing all the necessary steps to return your children to Israel.

Israeli law works most quickly if the country to which your children were taken is also a signatory of the Hague Convention, although you can still pursue legal action if the country is not a signatory. The Israeli Central Authority will assist you with filing the request with the Central Authority in the country your children were taken to. Then, you need to obtain the assistance of a private attorney in the foreign country to assist with filing legal proceedings in that country.

Paperwork to File with the Israeli Central Authority

In order to begin proceedings, one must fill out an affidavit in Hebrew or English along with the following documents:

A copy of your valid marriage certificate (if you have one).
A copy of your divorce certificate (if you have one).
Any documentation indicating that you have custody of your children (birth certificate, custody ruling, etc.).
An English copy of the child’s original birth certificate, which you can obtain from the Israeli Ministry of Interior.
It is important to prove that the child’s “normal” place of residence is in Israel, as this is critical to any ruling that will be made. This can include documents demonstrating proof of enrollment in Israeli schools, etc.
Documentation indicating that the child has been taken abroad without your consent.
Recent color photographs of your child and the parent who has abducted them.
If you have filed a complaint with the police, you should also add this.
Power of attorney which is granted to the Central Authority to pursue matters in the country to which your child has been abducted.
If you have a file with welfare services, please include any relevant information as well.

All of these documents must also have copies translated into the language of the foreign country your child is in, so they can be passed on to legal authorities there (it does not need to be notarized).

These documents should all be submitted to the Department of International Affairs in the State Attorney’s Office.

As stated, you can submit all of these documents on your own, or you can request the legal assistance of an Israeli attorney who specializes in this to help you collect all the correct documents and begin the legal proceedings so your child can be returned as quickly as possible.

This Series of Articles

This article is one in a longer series detailing what you can do about child abduction. For more information on how to choose a child abduction lawyer, the legal proceedings and how long the process takes, click on the relevant links.

Contact Us

Advocate Anat Levi from our law offices specializes in family law and assists clients with issues related to child abduction. Contact us for legal assistance.