Can one parent in Israel change a child's school or religion without the other parent's consent?

Israeli guardianship law starts from the principle that both parents hold equal parental responsibility for their child. Section 15 defines that responsibility to include the duty and right to care for the child's education, vocational training, and the determination of their place of residence. Day-to-day choices can be made by the parent the child is with at the time, but the law distinguishes routine matters from fundamental ones. Selecting or transferring schools, moving the child to a different town, and any change to the child's religious affiliation fall into the category of major decisions that require joint agreement. Where the parents disagree, Section 19 directs them to try to reach consensus, and failing that, either parent may apply to the Family Court, which decides according to the welfare of the child rather than the preference of either parent.

For international and separated families, this rule has real consequences. A parent who enrolls a child in a new school, or who initiates a religious conversion, without the other parent's written agreement risks an urgent application that unwinds the change and an adverse finding in any ongoing dispute over custody and parental responsibility. The safer path is to document agreement in writing, and where the other parent is unreachable or refuses, to seek a court order before acting rather than after. Foreign parents should also note that an Israeli Family Court order on these matters can be recognized abroad, and that unilateral relocation of a child can additionally raise child abduction issues under the Hague Convention.

From the full guide: Child Custody in Israel: A Guide for International Parents

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