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According to Jewish law, or Halacha, the husband must be the willing, legal initiator of divorce.  In Israel, in particular, where neither civil divorces nor marriages exist, this religious law is the final word. A woman may be tied to a marriage indefinitely if the whereabouts of her husband are unknown, if he is missing in military action, or if he simply refuses to end the union. Furthermore, when divorce proceedings do occur, they can be complicated or stalled entirely due to the husband's refusal to compromise financial control. Women are left powerless in this process and are rendered agunot, or women "chained to a dead marriage."  

Last year, an amendment to the Property Division Bill was withdrawn from consideration. Now, this legislation has been reintroduced and if approved, could empower women in the divorce process. This amendment would eliminate the financial stranglehold that recalcitrant husbands have on their wives by mandating separation of the financial settlement from the actual divorce proceedings.