Continuity and Change in Parental Roles Constructions upon Divorce in Israel.

Unlike all Western countries, Israeli law book still includes the tender years presumption. However, in recent years few law proposals calling to abolish this presumption were submitted and lately a governmental committee was appointed to look into the question of the appropriate legal role that should govern and conceptualize parents-children relations upon divorce. Based on a study I conducted in the legal field governing divorce and on my experiences as a member of the above mentioned governmental committee I would argue that the possibility of the abolishment of the tender years presumption does not steam from deep social changes but rather from global isomorphism that is imported to Israeli legal discourse by professional and political actors. Moreover, I would argue that the possible gap between a social gendered reality and gendered neutral legal language regarding parental responsibility upon divorce is dangerous, especially in the Israeli legal context. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript