According to an official at the consular division of the Consulate General of Israel in New York, a child can leave the country with one parent without having a letter of consent from the other parent (23 Mar. 1994). However, the source added that the child must first have a valid passport, and in order to receive such a document, letters of consent from both parents must be provided with the initial passport application.

The source added that should a child custody dispute arise, one or both parents can ask the courts to prohibit the child, the other parent, or both from leaving the country. She said that Israeli courts can subsequently order the Interior Ministry not to issue a passport, to invalidate the existing passport, or stipulate that the passport be valid only for a very limited period of time. The official added that passports which are issued for limited periods cannot be renewed outside of Israel unless the Israeli government approves the action (ibid.).

A source at the Association for Civil Rights in Jerusalem also stated that the signatures of both parents are required before a child is issued a passport (24 Mar. 1994). A legal advisor for the same organization also stated that the Interior Ministry requires the consent of both parents before issuing a passport to a child (24 Mar. 1994). He added that the written consent of the one parent may not be required if the other has been awarded sole legal custody of the child (ibid.).

This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

Association for Civil Rights, Jerusalem. 24 March 1994. Telephone interview with representative.

. 24 March 1994. Telephone interview with legal counsel.

Consulate General of Israel, New York. Telephone interview with Head of Consular Division.