Ya'alon: I hope Israel follows US lead and permits gay marriage

Israeli liberals celebrated the historic ruling while voicing hope that the Jewish state would one day join the 21 countries who have officially legalized homosexual unions.

By JPOST.COM STAFF

JUNE 26, 2015 19:53

Moshe Yaalon (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST) — Moshe Yaalon

(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)

The United States Supreme Court’s ruling on Friday banning states from refusing to recognize same-sex marriages is making waves worldwide, and Israel is no exception.

Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon took to Twitter and hailed the decision.

“The Supreme Court of the United States made an important, just and historic decision today,” Ya’alon tweeted on Friday. “Every person has the right to marry and have children, regardless of their sexual orientation. I hope additional countries, including Israel, will follow in the footsteps of the United States and grant this basic right to all.”

The Supreme Court of the United States made an important, just and historic decision today.
— Moshe Bogie Ya'alon (@bogie_yaalon) June 26, 2015

Every person has the right to marry and have children, regardless of their sexual orientation.
— Moshe Bogie Ya'alon (@bogie_yaalon) June 26, 2015

I hope additional countries, including Israel, will follow in the footsteps of the United States and grant this basic right to all.
— Moshe Bogie Ya'alon (@bogie_yaalon) June 26, 2015

Israeli liberals celebrated the historic ruling while voicing hope that the Jewish state would one day join the 21 countries who have officially legalized homosexual unions.

“I’d be interested to see if now there are Tea Party folks in the US who are bitter and saying: ‘How dare the court decide! We have a majority in Congress! The majority rules!” tweeted Meretz MK Tamar Zandberg.

Zionist Union leader Isaac Herzog retweeted a post from US President Barack Obama with the headline: “A brave and important step.”

Herzog’s No. 2 on the Zionist Union list, Tzipi Livni, congratulated the US on “a historic decision.”

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“Yesterday in Beersheba, I spoke of the need to achieve equality for all, and that is what I intend to do by advancing a civil marriage bill,” Livni tweeted.

Marriage services and regulations in Israel are controlled by the Orthodox Rabbinate, whose stern interpretation of Judaism has made it cumbersome for many Israelis who are not recognized as Jews according to halacha to marry.

Gay marriage for both Jews and non-Jews is not recognized by Israeli authorities.