Israel fights polygamy among Muslim citizens

Israeli occupation authorities are fight polygamy among Muslims in Israel by imposing punitive measures including jail terms against men who take on more than one wife, Arab48 reported yesterday.

According the report there are 6,200 polygamous families in Israel, occupied Jerusalem and the occupied Golan Heights. The rate of polygamy, the Israeli authorities say, is much higher than it is in Egypt, Jordan and the occupied Palestinian territories.

New data has revealed that 75 per cent of polygamous husbands had two wives and normally opted to do so if their first wife was barren.

Arab48 reported that Israel Police investigated 260 cases of suspected polygamy, referring 217 to the public prosecution which indicted only 12 cases.

An Israeli ministerial committee had recommended permission be granted for men to remarry if their first wife is barren, suffering from a life threatening illness or following long-term separation.

READ: Israel targets polygamy to stop Arab population increasing