Israel convicts Bedouin man for polygamy in landmark prosecution

A Bedouin man has been convicted by an Israeli court for having more than one wife, marking a major step in the country’s crackdown on polygamy.

The unnamed man from the south of Israel was sentenced to seven months’ imprisonment by the Beersheba Magistrate’s Court. Being in a polygamous marriage is a criminal offence in Israel.

Despite the prohibition of this lifestyle choice, it is reportedly common within the Bedouin community which lives largely in the south of the Zionist state. A 2018 government report revealed that there are approximately 6,200 polygamous marriages in Israel. That accounts for 18.5 per cent of Israel’s Bedouin families, and is a higher rate than in Egypt, Jordan and the areas under the Palestinian Authority.

The practice of taking more than one wife at a time is legal in Islam, subject to strict conditions. It is often practiced by communities such as the Bedouin for social reasons and economic practicality.

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The status of polygamous marriages differs among Muslim-majority countries. While it is legal in the Gulf Arab states, for example, it is illegal in places such as Turkey and Tunisia. It has long been subject to debate and labelled as a women’s rights issue.

Israel has also politicised the issue to a great extent. It is cracking down on polygamy within its Arab-Israeli and Muslim communities primarily as a method of curbing the rising Arab birth rate. Meanwhile, Israeli rabbis have allowed Jews to practice polygamy in order to increase the Jewish population.

The prosecution of the Bedouin man is the second such case undertaken by the Israeli authorities. The first was last year and also involved a polygamous Bedouin who was sentenced to community service before being called back and also imprisoned.

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