Israel Appoints First Female Judge to Muslim Religious Court
Hana Mansour-Khatib's appointment is not only a precedent for Arab women but for Jewish women as well
Judy Maltz
Apr 25, 2017 12:49 PM
For the first time in Israeli history, a woman has been appointed to serve as a judge, or a qadi, in a Muslim religious court.
Hana Mansour-Khatib, a family lawyer from the northern town of Tamra, had her appointment confirmed on Tuesday by the Judicial Appointments Committee, which oversees appointments judges to all Israeli courts. All nine members of the committee, including several from the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, voted in favor of her appointment.
Her appointment is a precedent for Israel. Jewish women are prohibited from serving as judges on religious courts. Issues of marriage and divorce in Israel fall under the mandate of religious courts.
“History has been made,” said Issawi Frej, an Israeli Arab politician who represents the left-wing Meretz party in the Knesset and has been leading a campaign for the past two-and-half years to get Muslim women appointed as judges in the Sharia courts. “This is one of the moments when all the work you do in parliament pays off.”
http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.785547