First-term Meretz MK Nitzan Horowitz to present civil marriage bill to Knesset

[oberliner]

Incoming Meretz MK Nitzan Horovitz on Monday announced plans to bring to the Knesset as early as next week a bill that will allow marriages or civil unions between two partners regardless of their religion, ethnic background, or gender.

Horovitz says his plan would counter one put forward by Yisrael Beitenu Head Avigdor Lieberman, which only applies to couples that cannot get married through the rabbinate, and will not include couples from the homosexual community.

Horovitz explained that in recent years, same-sex couples have received widespread legal recognition in all aspects of life outside of marriage, and that if Lieberman's proposal is approved, it will spell the swan song for same-sex marriage, by outlining all legal unions as only between a man and a woman.

The plan put forward by the new Meretz MK would allow Israelis to marry in civil ceremonies without involving the rabbinate at all, while Lieberman's plan would allow them to marry through their local rabbinate, but not without the approval of the religious authorities.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1064595.html

[LeftishBrit]

1. Hope this goes through!

[Idealism]

2. I hope the wording is stronger than civil unions

but given the RW makeup of the Knesset, I don't know how that will go...

Other than that, good to hear of social progress

[ProgressiveProfessor]

3. Right now the only marriages performed in Israel are religious ones

Not just Jewish, other religions as well. Civil marriages performed outside of Israel are fully recognized