Married off her minor daughters and continues to run a school? "It is time to draw a red line"

Following the publication in "HaYom" about a school principal in Yavne'el suspected of marrying off her daughters while they were minors and continuing in her role, the Chair of the Committee for the Advancement of the Status of Women, MK Merav Michaeli, appealed today (Sunday) directly to the Minister of Education Yoav Kisch and demanded his intervention. According to her, the Ministry of Education is now showing "initial signs of awakening," but a clear decision is required regarding the continued employment of the principal.

"After countless appeals - the Ministry of Education is finally showing initial signs of awakening," wrote Michaeli. "Because it is possible to stop the marriage of minors in Yavne'el, the state just needs to decide that it is intervening in the event." In her appeal to Minister Kisch, she added: "It is time to draw a red line: a principal who is personally involved in the marriage of minors cannot remain in the position. It is your responsibility."

For the time being, the principal continues to fulfill her role, even though she was summoned for a hearing at the Ministry of Education following the suspicion that she married off her daughters while they were minors. The case made headlines after documentation reached "HaYom" allegedly showing the wedding of one of her minor daughters. Community members in Yavne'el claim that this is the second time the principal has organized a wedding for one of her daughters before she reached the age of maturity.

The principal denies: "Only a henna event"

The principal rejects the claims against her and argues that these are traditional customs of the Yemenite community. "For several years they have been trying to harm me and have been making false claims against me," she said during the hearing process. According to her, "In this case too, it is persecution and I have not committed any offense. My daughter did not enter into a marriage covenant and it was only a henna event. In the Yemenite community, there are three stages: henna, engagement, and the marriage ceremony. We did not reach the marriage stage and my daughter will not marry before she reaches the age of 18."

The hearing process at the Ministry of Education was preceded by an inquiry conducted by the Shas network, which employs the principal who heads one of the movement's educational institutions. Despite the proceedings held, no practical sanctions have been taken against her yet and she continues her work.

Police point to the difficulty of establishing an evidentiary basis in cases of child marriage. A police source stated that the police are aware of the weddings held in the area and try to act in the places where they take place, but the ceremony itself is hidden from the authorities. "The Chuppah, which is the main evidence of the offense, takes place in hiding places and not at public and ostentatious events," he explained.

According to him, even when investigators find correspondence or circumstantial evidence allegedly indicating a romantic relationship, it is not enough to file an indictment without direct proof that the marriage ceremony took place. In one of the cases investigated, the police reached a letter written by a minor to her partner and signed it with the words "Your wife who loves you." Despite the explicit wording, even the letter is not considered sufficient evidence to prove the existence of a marriage.

At least 67 pregnancies of minors since 2019

The suspicions arise against the background of data revealed in "HaYom" about the scope of the phenomenon in the area. Data transferred by the Clalit and Leumit health funds to MK Michaeli shows that since 2019, at least 67 cases of pregnancy among minors have been documented: in the Leumit health fund, 59 cases of minors who became pregnant before the age of 18 were identified, and in Clalit, eight cases of pregnancy among girls under the age of 16 were documented.

In addition, 13 cases were reported in which girls under the age of 16 received hormonal treatment to regulate their menstrual cycle. The figure raised concerns in the committee that factors in the community are systematically encouraging pregnancy at a young age.

In Yavne'el, a large community of Breslov Hasidim has been operating for decades, identified with "Heichal HaKodesh" and with Rabbi Eliezer Shlomo Schick, who was called "The Tzadik from Yavne'el." Educational and religious institutions operate around the community, and it is considered one of the most prominent communities in the settlement.

The public pressure to suspend the principal increased following the findings. Alongside Michaeli's appeals, the head of the Yavne'el council also appealed to the Ministry of Education and the Shas network with a demand to deal with the issue. "We will not let up until the girls in Yavne'el are protected," said Michaeli. "A public official suspected of such a serious offense, certainly in an educational position, should be suspended from their position until the matter is clarified."

The Ministry of Education stated: "Upon learning of the matter, the ministry appealed to the owner employing the employee, who held a clarification process with her. The issue is currently under examination by the Ministry of Education, and in accordance with the findings and the powers granted to the ministry by law, the ministry will act as required."