Parents and children
Parents and childrenIstock

Knesset Committee Chairman Yoav Kish (Likud) and and Children's Rights Committee Head Yifat Shasha Biton (Kulanu) have proposed a law requiring child support amounts to be set based on a fixed formula which takes into account the parents' incomes and is not influenced by which gender the custodial parent happens to be.

Among the MKs supporting the new law are Social Equality Minister Gila Gamliel (Likud) and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked (Jewish Home), who will work to advance the law in the Knesset.

Kish, who proposed the law, said on Wednesday morning, "The current law ignores the parents' incomes, and the amount of child support parents must pay is often unjust. It's time to set the amount of child support required, and keep it gender-neutral. We need to take into account the parents' incomes and how much time each parent spends with the children. The new law will disconnect feminism from child support."

"The new law will remove the child from his parents' fights. They will no longer be able to use the child as a bargaining chip to harm the other parent. When divorcing parents go to war against each other, the children are the main victims," Biton said.

"It's time to change the law. The law needs to protect the child," BIton continued. "This new law will provide a just solution and allow child support discussions to be resolved fairly and in consistence with the social changes which have occurred in the past several years. The new law prioritizes the child's welfare and limits financial injuries to the parents."

Gamliel added, "You need to prioritize the child's welfare... This law provides the best solution for a problem which affects tens of thousands Israeli families."

Knesset Committee for Legislation will meet on Sunday to discuss the proposed law.