The laws governing child support in Israel are based on the parent's religion. The father is always absolutely responsible for child support, "Mezonot", and Israeli women are exempt from paying child support, unless both parents are considered "without religion" at birth. In most divorces in Israel the parents are Jewish and therefore Jewish law, mostly enacted in the 11th and 12th centuries, and not modern civil law, controls the dispute in both family courts and the rabbinical courts. The laws applied are based mainly on halacha enacted in the 11th and 12th centuries.