MK Smotrich: 'Supreme Court seeks to legitimize adultery'

The Supreme Court will meet to determine whether an adulterous wife -- as part of a divorce settlement -- is entitled to half the value of a property inherited by her husband prior to their marriage.

In this case, the husband had agreed that his wife should receive half of the value of the property prior to learning that she had been involved in an adulterous relationship during their marriage. It should be noted that in Israel property inherited by a spouse prior to marriage does not automatically become community property whose ownership is split equally between the husband and wife.

A Rabbinical Court ruled that the woman was not entitled to half the value of the property because of her adulterous relationship and a panel of three Supreme Court justices supported this ruling. Only after legal action by a radical feminist group was it decided that the full forum of nine Supreme Court justices would revisit the case.

Knesset member Betzalel Smotrich of the Yamina party reacted with dismay to the the Supreme Court's change of direction in this matter. "The Supreme Court seeks to legitimize adultery," he said, "and to bring about a coup in the judicial system."