Knesset Committee Exposes Alarming Scale of Underage Marriages in Yavniel
A Knesset committee session exposed systematic underage marriages in Yavniel, where former educators report high rates of child brides and a culture of silence surrounding the phenomenon.
A Knesset committee session addressing underage marriages in the community of Yavniel revealed alarming testimony regarding systematic coercion and an environment where minor marriages are normalized.
The Tip of the Iceberg
MK Merav Cohen, chairwoman of the Committee on the Status of Women and Gender Equality, presented testimony from a former education system worker in Yavniel. According to the report, approximately 80% of female students in the ninth grade are already married or betrothed within the community.
"We are seeing only the tip of the iceberg," MK Cohen stated. "The social norm dictates that a girl who remains unmarried is considered strange. This explains the discrepancy between Ministry of Education attendance records and the reality on the ground. This is an industry of extreme harm operating behind a veil of silence."
The committee also noted that the head of the Yavniel local council and municipal employees boycotted the parliamentary session. Cohen emphasized that the boycott signals ongoing evasion and pledged that authorities would dismantle the mechanisms enabling these practices.
A Mother's Testimony
A mother identified as Deborah shared her personal account of her daughter being married off as a minor by her ex-husband in Yavniel. Deborah described discovering her daughter's engagement at age 16 and subsequent attempts to intervene, which culminated in a police intervention during the wedding ceremony.
"I asked her to remain engaged but to live with me until she turned 18, but they refused. The wedding was set for her 17th birthday. Roughly two months after the wedding, she became pregnant. I found out about the pregnancy not from her, but through a notification from the health maintenance organization due to her minor status."
Deborah criticized the response of social services and law enforcement, arguing that systemic failures continue to endanger vulnerable minors within the community.
