Australian Man ‘Stuck’ In Israel Since 2013 Can’t Leave For 8,000 Years, Thanks To A Divorce Law

According to a court order, Noam Huppert is barred from leaving Israel, even for holiday or work, until December 31, 9999, if he does not pay over $3 million towards child support.

Representational image (Source: Getty)

New Delhi: An Australian citizen’s 2012 trip to Israel to be with his children turned out to be the most unfortunate decision he ever made. With his estranged wife, an Israeli national, seeking a divorce from him, he has to pay over $3 million towards child support, failing which he can’t leave the country for a very long time — nearly 8,000 years to be precise, all thanks to a specific local law. 

According to a report in news.com.eu, Noam Huppert (44) is barred from leaving Israel — even for holiday or work — until December 31, 9999, or until he pays the amount.

The report said he had moved to Israel in 2012 so he could be closer to his two young children, then aged one year and five years old, after his wife returned to her country in 2011.

With the wife soon moving an Israeli court seeking divorce and child support, Huppert was issued a “stay-of-exit” order due to his monthly “future debt” of 5,000 Israeli shekels, until the children turned 18.

He has been stuck in the country ever since.

The total amount in the year 2013 came to roughly$3.34 million, Huppert was quoted as saying in the report.

He works as an analytical chemist for a pharmaceutical company, according to the report.

While this aspect of Israeli divorce law does not attract much attention inside or outside the country, Huppert said there are many Australian men with Israeli wives who are facing the same problem. 

‘Hundreds’ Of Men In Same Situation In Israel Due To Local Dicorve Law

Quoting Marianne Azizi, an independent British journalist campaigning to raise awareness about the issue, the report said there could be “hundreds” of Australians and other foreigner men in the same situation in Israel.

The US State Department, incidentally, warns travellers of the potential issue in its Israel travel advisory.

In its “court jurisdiction” section, the department warns that Israel’s civil and religious courts “actively exercise their authority to bar certain individuals, including nonresidents, from leaving the country until debts or other legal claims against them are resolved”.

It adds: “Israel's religious courts exercise jurisdiction over all citizens and residents of Israel in cases of marriage, divorce, child custody, and child support.” 

The US Department of State cautions its citizens to be aware that “they may be subject to involuntary and prolonged stays (and even imprisonment) in Israel if a case is filed against them in a religious court, even if their marriage took place in the United States, and regardless of whether their spouse is present in Israel”. 

“A woman can easily put a travel ban on the father, with a demand for child support which can extend to the entire duration of the childhood,” writes Sorin Luca, director of documentary film ‘No Exit Order’, on the film’s website.

The documentary seeks to raise awareness on the issue.

“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 are expected to pay 100 per cent or even more of their income to pay for their children,” Luca adds.