My two dads: Israel recognizes two men as child’s biological father
Couple claim victory after two-year legal battle, following assistance by senior Likud MKs.
By BEN HARTMANBaby two dads 370(photo credit: Courtesy)
In a precedent-setting move, Israel's Interior Ministry has recognized two men as a child’s biological father, following a legal battle of almost two years.The move requires the state to recognize one of the parents as a mother, initially, before later allowing him to change his gender definition to “father” in the legal documents.The story began in December 2011, when transgendered man Yuval Topper gave birth to his partner Matan’s baby. The two men tried to register themselves both as the child’s fathers, but ran into legal hurdles the entire way as the state refused to recognize Matan as the biological father.Finally, a solution was reached, the Population, Immigration and Borders Authority said, when they “managed to find a legal method to help the couple carry out the registration. They were not registered at the birth as two fathers, rather as a mother and father. Only after the birth did they change the gender of the parent who gave birth.”The two men were reportedly given assistance by Interior Minister Gideon Sa’ar and MK Miri Regev (Likud), head of the Knesset’s Internal Affairs Committee.
