In commemoration of Agona Day, which fell this week, the Yad Laishe organization from the Or Torah Stone network, which represents Agonas and divorce refusers, launched the “Put them out in the light” operation, during which the names and photos of eight divorce refusers whose details were approved by the court were published.
The purpose of the operation is to call on the public to share and spread their information in order to create public pressure that will lead to the release of their wives. “We will no longer allow the divorce refusers to run away and hide while leaving behind a captive wife and heartbroken children,” says the CEO of the Yad Laishe organization Pnina Omar.
This was the case of A, whose husband Zeev Lanchos abandoned her and their six children. The two, residents of the USA, were married over 20 years ago, and a year and a half ago they decided to immigrate to Israel in order to fulfill the Zionist dream. After the immigration, the husband had difficulty finding his way in Israel, and a tract of emotional violence began that got worse and worse, until the husband left to return to the United States. B.
A started divorce proceedings in court, but the husband refuses to grant her a divorce, while trying to extort financial concessions from her in return, and at the same time does not pay her alimony and leaves her to raise their children alone.
“You never think this will happen to you. I have no answer for myself or anyone why any woman’s life should be put on hold for any length of time for her freedom. Why should someone’s freedom depend on someone else, who she does not want to be with and abuses her?”, A says in pain.
“We meet many women who manage to escape from violent marriages, but find that the long and violent hand of the husband continues to hold them and not let go,” they say sadly in the organization Yad Laishah.
The organization adds: “The time has come to bring the divorce refusers out into the light, and not allow them to hide in the shadow of their refusal.”