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Divorce Among Moslem Arabs Living in Israel

Comparison of Reasons Before and After the Actualization of the Marriage

Orna Cohen

Tel Aviv University

This article compares reasons for divorce among two groups of Arab women: regular divorcees, who divorced after living with their husbands, and contract divorcees, who divorced during the waiting period between the signing of the marriage contract and actual cohabitation. The regular divorcees reported more reasons for divorcing than the contract divorcees and were considerably more prone to cite their husband’s physical, sexual, and verbal abuse; lack of commitment to the marriage and family; and alcoholism and mental illness, as well as interference by their in-laws. The contract divorcees were more prone to cite failure to get along, lack of communication, and conflicts over traditional and/or modern lifestyle. These patterns suggest that the regular divorcees divorced for more concrete reasons and only after their marriage had become unbearable, whereas the contract divorcees ended their unions when they realized they would not find compatibiity, communication, and a shared lifestyle.

Key Words: reasons for divorce • Muslim women in Israel • "regular divorcees" • "contract divorcees"

Journal of Family Issues, Vol. 24, No. 3, 338-351 (2003)
DOI: 10.1177/0192513X02250889


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