Noam Huppert, a 44-year-old Australian analytical chemist living in Israel since 2012, is not allowed to leave the country until December 31, 9999.
Israel has imposed a travel ban on Huppert for failing to clear his dues towards child support. This is an extension of a 2013 ‘stay of exit’ order. It was imposed on him after his ex-wife moved a family court seeking money to support their children.
Now, Huppert is subject to an 8,000-year travel-ban unless he clears an outstanding £1.8m in child support.
Huppert’s ex-wife, an Israeli national, moved back to the country in 2011, when their children were aged three months and five years old. He followed them to Israel in 2012, and has not been able to leave the country in the eight years since the 2013 court ruling.
Huppert must pay 5,000 shekels (£1,200) a month for each of his two children until they turn 18, as per the court ruling. It is unclear if he should pay the entire sum in advance to lift the stay of exit order.
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As per a report by The Guardian, the Year 9999 was set because it was the highest possible date allowed on the online system.
STUCK IN ISREAL SINCE 2013
“Since 2013, I am locked in Israel,” Huppert told news.com.au.
He said that he was among the many foreign nationals “persecuted” by the Israeli ‘justice’ system only because they were married to Israeli women. He said he was speaking out “to help others who may suffer this literally life-threatening experience”.
Israeli family law has been criticised repeatedly for discriminating against women. In 2018, the finance ministry found that 43 per cent of divorced fathers refused to pay any child support.
Single mothers who rely on Israeli government funds were hit by funding cuts this year due to budget disputes. However, a 2017 Supreme Court ruling said that fathers should no longer be solely responsible for alimony, particularly in cases where ex-wives earn more than they do.
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