The past year has seen a 5.8 percent rise in the number of divorces in Israel, with 11,219 couples choosing to undo the bonds of matrimony in 2013, compared to 10,602 couples in 2012, according to a report published Tuesday by the rabbinical courts. Surprisingly, and for the second time since 2011, Jerusalem surpassed Tel Aviv as the city with the highest number of divorces.
The country's capital saw 733 married couples call it quits in 2013, compared to 678 couples in Tel Aviv. Haifa rounded out the divorce podium, with 502 couples signing papers to end their marriages.
With 40 couples divorced, Tirat Hacarmel saw the lowest divorce rate for 2013, while Shoham and Mevassert Zion were close with 41 and 42 couples divorcing, respectively.
A total of 90,237 family law cases were opened in the rabbinical courts over the course of the year, compared to 88,051 in 2012. While over 10% (9,515) were divorce cases, the total number includes petitions for reconciliation, alimony payments, property settlements, adoption (62 cases), and probate disputes (3,569.) A total of 4,373 people appealed to the Chief Rabbinate to clarify their status as Jews.
According to the rabbinical courts, the total average time required to close a case has been reduced by 10 days -- down to 96 days compared to 106 in 2012. Another important development was the 108% increase in the use of rabbinical sanctions against men who refuse to grant their wives a writ of divorce, which rose to 168 rulings for sanctions in 2013 compared to 60 in 2012.
Examples of sanctions issued by the courts include hold-departure orders preventing men from leaving the country, and revocation of driver's licenses. In addition, the rabbinical courts issued 19 detention orders for men who refused to grant divorces and appointed five private investigator firms to locate men who had disappeared to evade divorce proceedings.
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