The child, a boy, was 12 1/2 at the date of the alleged wrongful removal. The parents, both orthodox Jews, were married. The child lived in the United States but had made frequent and extended visits to Israel. The parents had been planning to emigrate to Israel. The father took the child to Israel without the consent of the mother.
On 15 April 1999 the Haifa Family Court ordered the return of the child. The court found that the boy’s objections were not sufficient to fall within the standard required under Article 13(2).
The father appealed.
