Israel's gay community applauds New York same-sex marriage law

[King_David]

Representatives of the gay community say it will take avery long time for a similar law to be passed in Israel.
By Ilan Lior

Representatives of Israel's gay community yesterday welcomed New York's passage Friday of a bill legalizing same-sex marriage, while noting it will be a very long time before a similar law is passed in Israel.

Most same-sex couples in Israel are not married, settling for the status of common-law partner. Some, however, marry abroad, in a place where same-sex marriages are legally recognized. Toronto is one of the more popular destinations. A High Court of Justice ruling compels the state to recognize these marriages upon the couple's return to Israel.

MK Nitzan Horowitz (Meretz ), said he welcomed the New York but is pessimistic about the situation in Israel. "I'm happy about the outcome, because it is part of an international trend in which we see more and more countries going in this direction," Horowitz said.

At the same time, Horowitz said, the decision by New York state legislators to make gay marriage legal serves to underscore the "intolerable" situation that exists in Israel, where same-sex couples and others are not permitted to marry. He attributed this situation to "the mix of religion and politics at work in Israel that blocks such initiatives."




http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israel-s-gay-community-applauds-new-york-same-sex-marriage-law-1.369621