Woman Suing Husband for NIS 26 Million for Bigamy

(IsraelWire-4/15) A Haifa woman whose policeman husband married a
second wife without divorcing her, has petitioned the Haifa rabbinical
court to order her husband to pay her NIS 26 million, in accordance with
her ‘ketubah’, the marriage contract. The husband's lawyer responded,
"We are in rabbinical court, not the national lottery".

The Haifa resident, in his 30's, recently married a second wife without
divorcing his first wife. He is suspected of bigamy, but criminal charges
have not yet been brought against him. The man explained that his second
marriage is because his first wife mistreated him during the nine years since
they married, and the second wife treats him with warmth and love. The
man and his first wife have two children.

The husband's lawyer has asked that the first wife be declared as a
"rebellious wife" because life with her was unbearable and caused the
husband to marry a second woman. The first wife's lawyer claims that the
husband has no reason or right to ask for a divorce.

In a separate court action, the first wife has petitioned the rabbinical court
to force her husband to divorce both women, because he "violated every
responsibility of marriage, especially the most basic tenet of not taking
another wife". The woman has also requested of the court to force her
husband to pay NIS 26 million in accordance with her marriage contract.

Chief Rabbinical Court Rabbi Haim Hertzberg heard the testimony of both
sides and discussed the matter with each litigant separately. He suggested
a compromise, and instructed the sides to continue deliberations in order
to end the matter with a decent separation.