Hello, my name is Miriam.
Here is my story in a nutshell:
Last May I came from abroad to Israel with my two young children (a 5-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy, diagnosed on the autistic continuum). It happened after years of physical and mental abuse on the part of the father. The abuse increased after I left home with my children and stopped supporting their father, financially. He, in revenge, began to harm me in every way possible, including harming the importance of my Judaism. While in a personal process of “strengthening” he demanded that I transfer the children to him on Shabbat, served them non-kosher foods, and threatened to transfer them to his custody and have them forget their Judaism.
The climax was when the father came to my house, asked our eldest son to go to the next room, and tried to strangle me, in front of our daughter. My boy heard everything !! After the incident, the children continued to be required to go to him as in the custody order. Without checking the mental state of the father or the mental state of our children. More than once I have tried to appeal decisions in hearings, only to be reprimanded by the judge.
For many years I tried to resolve matters through the family court there. I had no money to fund lawyers who would represent me properly, I enlisted the help of lawyers on behalf of the state and encountered a system that diminished the severity of the father’s actions.
The lawyer and the social worker, who were appointed on behalf of the state to examine the welfare of the children, also took part in this system!
At the first opportunity I had, I came with my children to Israel, to visit my family and help my mother. Surrounded by a supportive and loving family, I dared to contact the Israeli legal system to request a deviation from the “Hague Convention” and leave us to live safely in Israel.
During our stay in Israel, the children felt secure, released from fears, began to form social bonds and share with the family their feelings towards their father. My son said he would rather die than go back there. My daughter, a 5-year-old girl, felt safe sharing with her grandmother and aunt a sexual event she had with the father. The girl was questioned by a child investigator and a criminal case was opened against the father.
We always hoped that in Israel they would understand the danger of the father and the danger to life in which the children and I are.
We hoped that the justice system would exclude the case from the “Hague Convention” and allow us to live our lives safely in Israel. ”
Unfortunately, this was not the case.
For diplomatic reasons, the court adhered strictly to the “Hague Convention”, accepted the father’s claim for abduction and decided to return Miriam and the children to their country of origin. The decision was made without examining the criminal case opened against the father and without an investigation by a pediatrician, about the dangers of returning there. An appeal to the Supreme Court was rejected even without a hearing !!! The judge completely ignored evidence supporting the mother’s claims. The judge completely ignored the testimony of a local educator, qualified to work with children in special education and whom knows the child through a prolonged acquaintance. In the affidavit of testimony he detailed the negative change in the child’s behavior after being with his father. The affidavit of another witness, who heard from the girl about the assault, also had no reference.
The verdict was decided on the grounds that “the court (ibid.) That began the hearing will continue to decide… … everything for the benefit of the minors”.
But this is the biggest problem !!!! In Israel, it has been proven that the authorities in the country of origin, including the social worker and the lawyer, who are supposed to represent the children, know the father’s family and therefore do not act with the required honesty and seriousness, which is in stark contrast to the minors !!!!
Is the exposure of the children to alcohol/drugs/nudism, drunk driving while the children are in the car, and severe violence on the part of the father, an example of a responsible father? Is it good for children? If it is so good for them, why did my son repeat that he would rather die than go back there?
On 24.1.21 Miriam and her children were returned to the other end of the world. We: the mother, brother, sister, and all the family members who accompanied and supported them all the time, we stayed here, in Israel, shocked and afraid of the abandonment of Miri and her children and having them sent to another country where they have nothing.
The well being of the children and the mother is at stake. Their distant stay is expensive and dangerous!!!!
From the moment of their return, accompanied by good people, We are all making tremendous efforts to raise capital to fund lawyers that can represent the mother and children properly.
We must find lawyers who will fight for proof of the father’s danger and for the right of Miriam and the children to live together safely.
Miriam and her children are currently staying there in a hiding place and are worried that the father may find her place. Who knows, God forbid, what the results will be, he has threatened!
Proper representation is required to prevent a terrible case of harm to a woman in a distant land.
It concerns us all!
Every one who saves one soul is as if he saved a whole world.
Please be a partner in rescuing our sister, Miriam, and her children.
Donate now and save these souls
