Israeli rabbinical courts report surge in divorces, but drop in sanctioned husbands

Among the regions showing the sharpest rise in divorce rates were Beit Shemesh and Kiryat Gat, both of which saw increases of 45% while Beitar Illit also experienced a 44% jump.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

Israeli rabbinical courts reported a notable 6.5% increase in divorces among Jewish Israelis in 2024, compared to the previous year, according to the Chief Rabbinate’s annual report released on Tuesday.

The report also noted a drop in the number of recalcitrant husbands who were sanctioned by the court for refusing to divorce their wives.

According to the report, a total of 11,542 divorces were finalized, up from 10,838 in 2023. The surge in divorce rates is attributed to the emotional strain caused by war with Hamas and Hezbollah.

This increase marks the highest level of divorces since 2021, when the coronavirus pandemic and related lockdowns also contributed to a spike in marital separations.

One key focus of the report was the work of a special rabbinical unit handling cases involving individuals who refuse to grant or accept a religious divorce, known as a get.

In Jewish law, both the husband and wife must consent to the divorce, with the husband required to give his wife a get willingly, though significant pressure may be applied to compel him.

A woman whose husband refuses to give a writ of divorce and cannot remarry is known as an agunah, or “chained woman.” The divorce can also be invalid if the wife refuses to accept the get.

According to the Rabbinate’s report, this unit secured 221 divorce documents in 2024 for women whose husbands had previously refused to grant them, a figure comparable to the 226 cases in 2023.

The unit also imposed sanctions on 135 men who had refused to grant a get, down from 209 the previous year. Sanctions were also imposed on eight women who had refused to accept the divorce documents, up from six in 2023.

As of early 2025, there are 67 open cases of ongoing get refusals, with 44 of those involving men and 23 involving women.

In instances where a wife refuses to accept a get, there is a legal workaround that allows a man to remarry with the approval of 100 rabbis.

According to the Rabbinate’s report, the procedure was used in seven cases during the Jewish year 5784 (2023-2024).

Among the regions showing the sharpest rise in divorce rates were Beit Shemesh and Kiryat Gat, both of which saw increases of 45% while Beitar Illit also experienced a 44% jump.

On the other hand, Jerusalem experienced a slight decline, with a 4% decrease in divorces.

Religious affairs and issues of personal status such as marriage, divorce, and conversion are determined by leaders of Israel’s recognized religious communities — Jewish, Muslim, Druze and 10 Christian denominations.

The rabbinate’s report only covered Jewish cases under its purview.