Polygamy In Israel

 Nadene Goldfoot                                                    

Jacob, son of Isaac and Rebekah,  with Leah, his first wife, and Rachel, 2nd wife and sister to Leah, with them being 1st cousins;   with their possibly Egyptian handmaidens who were 3rd and 4th concubines or considered as wives,  Bilhah and Zilpah.  Jacob was 130 years old when he went to Egypt. (Genesis 47:9) He remained in Egypt until he died at 147, when his body was returned to Hebron in Canaan. He married his uncle Laban's 2 daughters in Haran. a trading town of NW Mesopotamia that was also known as Canaan.   (Gen30:18;  35:25-26).  To give one a general idea of when this took place, " Jacob lived 147 years, so he died 2255 years after Creation, otherwise known as 1505 BCE. In other words, Jacob lived 1652–1505 BCE, or born 261 years before Moses, which would be 3, 656 years ago.  

Polygamy, or the practice of having more than one spouse at a time, is legal in some countries, including many in sub-Saharan Africa. In these countries, polygamy is often legal to some extent, and is more common among Muslims than Christians. However, some countries have recently banned polygamy, while others have unique laws regarding it:

In the ancient Jewish culture, Isaac,  who was married to Rebecca, was regarded as the model in later monogamous  households.  Proverbs 31 shows a monogamous family.  It was the first Jewish kings, Saul, David and especially Solomon who practiced polygamy.  Solomon's concubines were even numbered and recorded.  He did this to keep peace among countries he dealt with, and it seemed to work on the most part.

During the Talmud period  only had a handful of rabbis who were recorded with more than one wife at a time.                                      

By 1000 CE in the takkanah of Rabbi Gershom, it forbid polygamy and gave formal sanction among Ashkenazi Jews to what was already generally accepted.   "Among these Takkonoth the most well known are the prohibition of polygamy (taking more than one wife), the decree against opening a letter addressed to others, and so on."

 However, among the Spanish and oriental Jews, on the other hand, polygamy continued to be legal, though by no means general.

In Italy, down to the 17th century, a person whose wife was barren, was occasionally permitted by papal license (Catholics) to take a 2nd wife.  Europeanization of many oriental communities in recent generation,  has seen polygamy becoming increasingly rare.

In Israel, monogamy is now enforced by law, though existing polygamous marriages are recognized.  Around 20 to 30 percent of Bedouin men practice polygamy, according to government figures, with the rate climbing as high as 60 percent in some villages. Bedouin polygamy takes many forms, from several wives cohabitating under the same roof to men picking up and moving on to second wives without looking back.  The Bedouins are Muslims and Islam permits a man to take up to four wives, though the practice varies greatly among different Muslim communities, often depending on education and income. 

 Polygamy is allowed by Sharia law, which governs family laws for Muslims in Israel, and tradition and custom also permit it. However, the Israeli state rarely enforces the law against Bedouin citizens, and many Bedouin are unaware that it's illegal. Some say that the Israeli legislature and legal system's ambivalence on the issue violates the human rights of Arab Bedouin women. 

Most modern Muslims view the practice of polygyny as allowed, but unusual and not recommended due to normative pressures for ordinary men. The practice of polygyny is often viewed in its historical context, as the marriage was the only way for a woman to be provided for during the time of Muhammad.

Polygamy is illegal in Israel under Israeli marriage law, which applies to all residents of East Jerusalem, including Arab Muslims. However, polygamy is permitted under Sharia law, which governs Muslims' personal status issues in Israel. As a result, polygamy is practiced among Israeli Arabs, especially in the Bedouin sector, where authorities often turn a blind eye to it. According to Israeli government data, at least 20% of Bedouin families are polygamous, but women's rights advocates estimate the figure is closer to 40%. 

Traditional Sunni and Shia Islamic marital jurisprudence allows Muslim men to be married to multiple women . Men can have up to four wives at a time according to the islamic jurisprudence.

Since the beginning of Israel's occupation of the West Bank in 1967, all of the territory's Jewish settlements have been subject to Israeli marriage law. Additionally, all residents of Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem (including Arabs) are also subject to Israeli marriage law.

In the Gaza Strip, which is ruled by Hamas, polygynous marriages are legal. They are also legal for Palestinians who are governed by the Palestinian National Authority (PA)  in the West Bank.  Polygymous marriages means many children come from such unions. 

 Iran: Men can practice polygamy if their first wife consents.

Polygynous unions are illegal under Israeli marriage law, which applies to Israeli settlers in the West Bank and to all residents of East Jerusalem, including Arab Muslims.

Polygamous marriages are not allowed in the USA, Great Britain, France, Italy and Germany.  

Resource

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygyny_in_Islam#:~:text=Traditional%20Sunni%20and%20Shia%20Islamic,according%20to%20the%20islamic%20jurisprudence.

https://apnews.com/general-news-486a1223036f436eb39bf497652a11ec#:~:text=Around%2020%20to%2030%20percent,second%20wives%20without%20looking%20back.

https://www.quora.com/When-did-the-patriarch-Jacob-live#:~:text=Jacob%20was%20born%2060%20years,Jacob%20lived%201652%E2%80%931505%20BCE.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legality_of_polygamy