Yifat Shasha-Biton
Yifat Shasha-BitonKnesset spokesperson

The Knesset's Special Committee for the Rights of the Child will hold a meeting on alienating children from their parents - but will only invite women's organizations to take part.

The meeting will be held in another six weeks. It will discuss the involvement of authorities in divorce crises for the children's sake, and how to deal with parental alienation.

Participants will include Israel's Education Ministry; the Labor, Social Affairs, and Social Services Ministry; the Federation of Local Authorities in Israel; the Legal Aid Department; court management; Israel Psychological Associatoin; Bar Ilan University's Rackman Center; the women's organizations Naamat, WIZO, and Emunah; and others.

Most alienated parents are fathers, since mothers automatically receive custody of all children under age six. If even one child is under six years of age, the mother will receive automatic custody of all the siblings in case of divorce.

Meanwhile, until the divorce agreements are final, the non-custodial parent meets their children for one hour once a week at a supervised "contact center" only. Finalizing the divorce agreements can sometimes take years, during which time the children are unable to have a healthy relationship with their non-custodial parent (usually the father).

In addition, mothers are told by their lawyers to lie and claim that their partners hit them or harmed the children.

When questioned on the logic of inviting only women's organizations to the meeting, Committee Chairwoman MK Yifat Shasha-Biton (Kulanu) said that "the committee management invited all relevant government offices and other organizations. Anyone who wants to come, can come."

When asked why she did not invite organizations which deal with fathers' rights, Shasha-Biton said that she only invited recognized organizations. When informed that the fathers' organizations were recognized by the government, she said that she "does not invite those who she does not know."