One man, 9 wives and 45 children: a glimpse into the world of polygamy in the Negev

The Southern District Police's polygamy unit has uncovered two cases of multiple marriages in the Negev. A 83-year-old resident of Rahat is suspected of being married to nine women simultaneously, five of whom are Palestinian Authority residents illegally staying in Israel, and is the father of 45 children. A 40-year-old resident of Bir Hadaj was arrested upon his return from a honeymoon in Barcelona with his third wife.

The polygamy unit of the Central Unit in the Southern District of the police has uncovered two cases of multiple marriages in the Negev. In the first case, an 83-year-old resident of Rahat is suspected of having married nine women over the years in accordance with Sharia law. Five of his wives are residents of the Palestinian Authority staying in Israel without proper permits. The suspect is the father of 45 children. According to the suspicion, he last married in April 2026 to another woman, an Israeli resident. He was questioned on suspicion of multiple marriages, harboring and transporting illegal residents, and was released under restrictive conditions including house arrest. Last week, one of his wives, a resident of the Dahariya area, was located and deported from Israel. In the second case, a 40-year-old resident of Bir Hadaj is suspected of being married to two women and intending to marry a third. The third wedding took place on July 30, after which he went on a honeymoon in Barcelona with his new wife. Upon their return on August 15, he was arrested in a joint operation by the Southern District Police and Ben Gurion Airport Police. He was also released under restrictive conditions. The police stated that this is a serious and harmful phenomenon with wide-ranging implications, and that investigations are ongoing.