The child, a boy, was nearly 3 at the date of the alleged wrongful removal. He had lived in the United States all of his life. The parents were married and had joint rights of custody. On 24 October 1991 the mother unilaterally took the child to Israel, her State of origin. The father also happened to be in Israel at that time.
On 28 October 1991 the mother applied to the District Court of Tel Aviv for custody and maintenance. The father filed a defence to the custody and maintenance claims and issued parallel proceedings in the Rabbinical Court.
On 2 September 1992 the father began Hague Convention proceedings in the District Court for the return of the child to the United States. The District Court ordered the return of the child. The mother appealed to the Supreme Court.
