The idea behind the 1980 Hague Convention on Civil Aspects of Child Abduction is that any dispute over custody or visitation rights concerning a minor should be settled legally , in the country in which the child normally lives. In each signatory country there is a central authority which processes applications and co-operates in helping to trace children and bring legal actions for their return before the court in the Convention country to which they have allegedly been abducted. As a rule ,abducted children are returned to the country of habitual residence unless one of the Hague Convention defences is proved which is extremely difficult. Israel is a signatory to the Hague Convention.