Does a Jewish woman whose husband is non-Jewish have a legal obligation to be supported by him financially?
By: דיאנה שאלתיאל•Published on: 16 May, 2022Not an automatic one – it could depend on the relative financial positions of her and her husband!
If the husband is not Jewish, but is Moslem or Druze, or a member of one of the other recognized faiths in Israel with its own court system, then his maintenance obligation towards his wife will be governed by the personal law applying to him.
If, however, his personal law does not oblige him to support his wife, or he has no personal law (if, for example, he has no religion), then civil law will apply. Under the Family Law Amendment (Maintenance) Act of 1959,which only applies to married couples, a husband is in principle obliged to support his wife but her income from employment or other sources is taken into account.