Divorce rates are constantly rising in the Western world, as well as in traditionalsocieties. The Arab society in Israel is no exception, yet little is known about coping withdivorce in this population. The Arab society is undergoing social changes that arerevealed mainly in the growing tendency of the nuclear family to be the dominant familystructure, rather than the clan. Women's status in this society is changing as well. Divorcein this society is stigmatized because it contradicts the value of family integrity. Divorceis a situation characterized as astressful encounter because it changes the family structureand the