A bill is being pushed in Knesset seeking to increase the minimum marriage age from 17 to 18. The bill is sponsored by MK (Likud) Yariv Levine, who feels at 17; youth haven’t even completed their studies and therefore, should not get married.
The current law was legislated over 50 years ago, making it a crime for a male or female to get married under 17. Offenders may face 2 years in prison and/or a fine, with the exception in cases in which the Family Court permits a minor to wed. Special permission may be granted by the court for a male/female even before reaching 16.
Levine feels the law is outdated and if fails to conform with international norms of today – failing to provide protection for minors. He feels minors pushed into wedlock are victimized, deprived of their basic rights, including the right of one to enter into marriage when one is ready and in a situation in which there is mutual consent by the parties involved.
Levine adds the main victims are those young women who are raised to believe their place is in the home and their purpose in life is only to bring children into the world. Based on these values they agree to be married, but he feels they are simply too young to make such a decision, especially with the social pressure placed on them. He feels that in essence, these young people are being married against their will in many cases.
Levine believes that the young age results in disharmony at home, increased divorce, and an inability of the young couple to earn a livelihood. He is careful not to point to any particular sector with the bill, using general terminology, stating “One of the fears of the young getting married is fear of intervention or religious tradition, social norms of such ethnic minorities or others. Therefore the Family Court should weigh giving permission under special circumstances…including the children of an Admor (Rebbe), without preventing assistance to the victims of this phenomenon”.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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10 Responses
In New York State, a 16 year old can get married. And with parental consent, even a 14 year old can get married.
Naysberg, incorrect. You need to be 18 to get married, but 16 with a parents consent.
Once again the non-orthodox think they can push their opinions of what is “normal” in their society on the- let’s face it – Chasidisha mentchen. How do they expect 17 year olds to find out about this law if they don’t read papers of have internet? I’m curious of how many documented cases there are of 20+ year old Chilonim that get married that don’t have cases of abuse. It all goes back to economics and having to pay for the frum children thru programs. MK’s should worry about Iran,not what age I get married.
Bugnot: In NYS, 16 year olds can get married with just parental consent. 14 year olds can get married with parental and judicial consent.
Naysberg, that is not what you said before. What you just said now, is exactly what what I said, with just leaving the judge part out.
Brooklynhocker,
The MKs are worried about what age you get married at because its their tax dollars that are going to be supporting you when you have 5 kids by the age of 21….
This is clearly an attack on Orthodox Jewry. The Secular Jews rarely if ever get married young. I’m not sure if this is just politically motivated or if he is just plain and simply anti-religious. Regardless, the root of his argument is wickedly intended and will not last.
May he be zoche to do teshuvah before a gzar din falls upon him (Chas V’Shalom)!
This is really meant to keep the Arabs, and especially those Arabs who kidnap Jewish girls R”L as happened recently, in check. They arrange marriages within the family at age 15 or even lower.
Out of the real Chassidim who will be affected, many do not register their marriages in any case as they don’t recognize the medine, and the others would fall under a proposed exemption mentioned above.
The only Chassidim who would run into real trouble under the law are certain fringe quasi-chassidic cults where there are some very questionable “minhagim.”
Softwords…. I do not think it is an attack. As Rebyid39 opines, the society doesn’t feel like welfare should be spent on such a marriage creating many kids within a few years. The husband should establish a level of maturity, a skill set, and a way to earn a parnasah. Otherwise, I feel those couples are not ready to become married at such a young age.
Rebyid39, read my entire comment again before you ramble on about what an Mk is supposed to tell “the Olam” to do. Whether he is Likud(semi-orthodox leaning) or not doesn’t change the fact that Levine believes that young parents are not suitable for supporting a family. I’ve got news for you……neither is a 21 year old with post trumatic stress, that’s seen his friends die, and is stuck in a depression! To say it’s to stop the Arabs from kidnapping Israeli girls is also ludacris as they don’t care what the law is…..