How does a Palestinian woman in Israel survive an abusive husband? When Khitam’s Arab Israeli husband divorces her and gains custody of her six children, she suddenly finds herself fighting two heart-breaking battles: against the Islamic Sharia court to get her children back, and against the state of Israel, which considers her an illegal resident and denies her protection that could literally save her life. Khitam’s only legal recourse is to appeal to the Sharia court because there are no secular divorce courts in Israel, but the Muslim court repeatedly shuts her out from custody hearings.
3 TIMES DIVORCED is a fascinating and disturbing look at a civil and religious legal system that denies women the right to get a divorce independent of their husbands. And, highlighting the bind that abused women find themselves in when their immigration status is contingent upon marriage, this important film offers an illuminating glimpse into the struggles of a stateless woman. With remarkable access and an unflinching lens that never sensationalizes, award-winning filmmaker Ibtisam Salh Mara’ana captures Khitam’s astonishing courage as she faces an impossible situation with no country or court to protect her.
3 Times Divorced
A film by Ibtisam Salh Mara’ana
Israel, Palestine, 2007, 74 minutes, Color, VHS/DVD, Arabic, Hebrew, Subtitled