What legal steps must a wife who is Jewish, and who moved to Israel, but who has not yet become a citizen, take to divorce her husband, who is non-Jewish, whom she married abroad in a civil ceremony, and with whom she has no contact at all ?
By: דיאנה שאלתיאל•Published on: 09 May, 2022Firstly, the fact that the woman has not become an Israeli citizen is irrelevant. She can still begin the process of civil divorce (“dissolution of marriage”) against her non-Jewish husband, as her status in Israel is not the key factor. What is important is for her to ascertain whether her husband is in Israel or not. She can do this at the Ministry of Interior and get details of his entries and exits from Israel. If it transpires that he is in Israel, and his whereabouts within the country are unknown, she can apply to court for “substituted service” of the legal documents via publication in the written press. She can continue the process this way.