The abduction of 4 years old Lilach from her home abroad because of a family court judge neglecting decision

On July 27 2001 I came to my ex wife’s house to take my daughter Lilach according to my visitation rights, but she wasn’t there. To my enormous surprise the police, approached after I didn’t get my daughter, told me that the border’s police computer’s record shoes that my daughter, her mother and her grandmother left Israel on July 26 2001 (the day before).

After looking at the courthouse files I was shocked to see that on July 4 2001 judge German issued a decision that let my ex wife the permission to take our daughter Lilach out of Israel, although there has being a no-exit order, that had being issued by the same judge according to my demand, as part of the divorce agreement. He did it ex-party (with out asking the other parent), for the first time in the Israeli law history, he didn’t bother taking any guarantee from my ex wife to ensure the return of my daughter, or even to send me – the father, a copy of the critical decision he made, ex party, about my own daughter.

As far as professional law specialists, who were amazed by the facts of this case, this was an outrageous primary decision that no one have hared about such before and was made in an unreasonable and neglective way.

On July 30 2001 an urgent petition, that asked a cancellation of the former decision, has being issued to judge Shohat that was on duty at the courthouse on that day, who decided that there is nothing he can do to help because Lilach has already gotten out from Israel. He transferred the petition back to judge German, who gave the original decision on this case.

On August 8 2001 there was a hearing in front of judge German, who refused to cancel his former decision, although he had no explanations about why and how he had made such a pure decision, and why how it has being taken with out asking for my response, or even without sending me the decision after it was made.

All my begging and pleading did not help, nor me saying that it is against the welfare of the daughter, and contradicts any professional or legal rules.

On August 30 2001 which was the last day for her to return according to the judge’s order, my ex wife obviously didn’t bring our daughter back and it was clear that Lilach was abducted.

After I realized that no one will help me to bring my daughter back home (the police, on that stage, did absolutely nothing) I started financing activities in order to locate and bring back my daughter on my account.

On September 9 2001 the court ruled that Lilach is an Hague case abducted child.

On September 11 2001, I left my work and flew abroad in order to find my daughter. A month and a half later, after I failed in finding her and ran out of money, I returned back to Israel. I have spend over $55,000 and I’m very close to bankruptcy.

The state of Israel doesn’t finance the legal activities, nor the search and the necessary activities abroad have been ceased.

A direct consequence of it will be giving up on finding and bringing Lilach back home.

Only on October 25 2001 (3 months after my daughter’s disappearance), after knocking on any hay window there is and after making a lot of noise, a special police inspection team was appointed. That special team is working in Israel, but can’t operate abroad. Although the Interpol and the American federal police are involved in the case, there is no substitute to an intensive dedicated activities of private professional factors, such as private investigators, lawyers and others who are the only factors that can do efficient activities to promote the finding and the returning of Lilach safe back home.

Until the state of Israel officially acknowledges its duty and obligation to finance such necessary activities (unofficially, almost all relevant official factors understands and supports the necessity of financing such activities by the state), critical time will pass. Therefore, a decision to establish the “returning Lilach to Israel” movement, which will operate in all the necessary fields and will make and manage all the necessary activities in order to bring Lilach safe back home.

First of all, we are talking about raising public support and acive awareness, including fund raising. Recruiting the cooperation and active support of Jewish people all over the world. Using the mass media, Internet, chain letters etc. and by putting pressure on decisions makers that will operate all the means that the state of Israel can operate the informal means that it has and not only the formal means that do not give us any results till now as time goes on and the damadge is accumulates.