What legal action can I take to get my wife to return to the USA with our baby, after she texted me to say she would be remaining in Israel, and had cancelled their return flight to New York? We are Israelis who relocated to the States permanently several years ago and our baby was born in the States.

Bring Hague Convention child abduction proceedings against your wife at the family court in Israel for the “prompt return” of your child the USA, his/her place of habitual residence. From your description, your child left the States, with your consent, for the purposes of a visit only, and is being wrongfully retained in Israel, by your wife, in a classic act of passive, civil child abduction . Both Israel and the States are bound by international law concerning the civil aspects of child abduction and you are advised to apply for a return order without delay.