A young Haredi woman who discovered her husband was accused of spying for Iran — and later learned he had other criminal cases pending — has encountered new obstacles in her effort to divorce him.
Just as her lengthy proceedings in a rabbinical court neared their end, with closing arguments submitted and a ruling expected soon, the court informed both parties this week that, due to the reassignment of one of the judges and a change in the judicial panel, parts of the hearings would need to be repeated.
In a letter sent to both sides, Rabbi Yitzhak Maro, the head of the court, wrote: “In this case, hearings have concluded and closing arguments have been submitted.”
However, he added, “Shortly after the decision to submit summaries, the composition of the judges changed. Although I initially believed the verdict should be given by the previous panel, unfortunately, this is not feasible. Therefore, an additional hearing before the new panel is set for November 10, including evidentiary proceedings to allow further cross-examinations.”
The ruling was met with frustration, as both sides had already undergone difficult and invasive questioning, and the case had reached the final stage of determining whether the husband could be compelled to grant a religious divorce (get) and face legal sanctions if he refused.
Throughout the process, the husband repeatedly asked to postpone hearings or pursue “reconciliation efforts,” which had already slowed the proceedings. Now, the court’s decision effectively resets the clock, further delaying the woman’s ability to be freed from the marriage.
According to sources close to the case, the woman remains deeply distressed, hoping to sever ties with a man she says concealed his criminal past and whose alleged espionage activities for Iran shocked her and her community.
In response, the Rabbinical Courts Administration said: “The administration cannot comment on ongoing legal proceedings. However, generally speaking, under court regulations, when a judicial panel changes, the new panel has the authority to decide from which stage to resume the hearings — all in order to ensure a fair and just ruling.”
The husband’s lawyers, Menachem Ze’ev Friedman and Moshe Leibowitz, said in a statement: “We cannot go into the details of the case. Anyone familiar with it knows that the accusations against our client are untrue. Any requests for brief postponements were due to scheduling conflicts in other cases — a standard legal procedure. Given the sensitivity of the matter, it is best that these proceedings remain in the courtroom, not in the media.”
The woman’s attorney, Hedva Shapira, declined to comment.