Israeli Gays Are Celebrating

November 22, 2006 - 11:04 AM by Allison

Jewlicious comments on the big legal decision yesterday, which gave great comfort to the homosexual community which was still licking its wounds over the controversial Jerusalem Gay Pride march:

Israel’s High Court has ruled that gay marriages conducted abroad must be recognized by the state of Israel. The government is balking at this decision, but as I understand it, it’s now going to be legally binding.

In a precedent-setting ruling, the High Court of Justice on Tuesday ruled that five gay couples wedded outside of Israel can be registered as married couples, Army Radio reported.

A sweeping majority of six Justices in favor and one against ruled that the common-law marriages of five gay couples obtained in Toronto, Canada, can appear as married on the population registry.

The gay petitioners sought to force the state to give equal recognition to common law marriages of heterosexual couples to those of gay marriages, which can be performed in certain countries.

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel that filed the petition on the behalf of the couples, argued before the court that the Interior Ministry’s refusal to register them as married compromises their right to equality and to hold family life, and is based on “homophobe social perceptions.”

The court rejected the position of the State Attorney, that states recognizing single-sex marriages cannot expect Israel to recognize such nuptial agreements drawn in these countries.

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