BICOM

Israeli parliamentarians yesterday discussed a variety of mooted legislation which would legalise civil unions, including same-sex ones.

Marriage in Israel must be performed through religious authorities, leaving couples whose union is not acknowledged by such authorities unable to marry in Israel. Yesterday, Labour MK Stav Shafir proposed a Civil Union Law for same-sex couples, which would give legal recognition to their civil union although not marriage. However, the bill was rejected by the Ministerial Committee on Legislation, with all Yesh Atid ministers voting against the initiative.

Last week legislation was proposed by Yesh Atid parliamentarians, which would permit a civil union between all couples who cannot or do not wish to be married by the religious authorities. Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid said Shafir’s bill would only help same-sex couples, effectively distinguishing them from the rest of the population, while Shafir retorted “ministers proved that their flattery of the gay community starts and ends with pride parades and Facebook statuses.”

Meanwhile, Haaretz reports this morning that the Justice Ministry published a government-supported bill which would recognize “domestic unions” for same-sex couples. Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, was the only member of her Hatnuah Party to support Shafir’s bill. The ministry’s proposed law would establish a Registrar for Domestic Unions, which would give legal standing to an agreement between any two Israelis wishing to live together. A similar mechanism already exists for Israelis with no religion, but the Justice Ministry’s bill would widen this option to all Israeli residents.