Israel Marks 28 Years Without Civil Marriage Option
Translated & summarized from Zman Yisrael by baba
Israel has not offered a civil marriage option for 28 years, impacting numerous couples who must marry abroad or face limited recognition. Lawyer Irit Rosenblum, founder of the New Family organization, has advocated for this change for nearly three decades, arguing for freedom of choice and equal rights. Despite societal evolution, eight governments have failed to provide a solution, leading to lives being used as political bargaining chips. Rosenblum calls for legislation enabling free choice in formalizing partnerships, alongside religious marriage, emphasizing freedom, equality, and human dignity.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Israel has lacked a civil marriage option for 28 years, affecting numerous couples.
- Eight Israeli governments have failed to provide a solution for civil marriage.
- Lawyer Irit Rosenblum has advocated for civil marriage for nearly three decades.
- The current system forces many couples to marry abroad or accept partial recognition.
- Advocates argue for freedom of choice and equal rights in formalizing partnerships.
- The issue remains a subject of political bargaining rather than legislative action.
For nearly three decades, Israel has lacked a pathway for civil marriage, a situation that has persisted through eight different governments and significant societal changes. The absence of this option forces many couples to marry abroad or settle for partial recognition, highlighting what critics call a systemic failure to acknowledge diverse family structures.
Irit Rosenblum, founder and CEO of the New Family organization, has spent 28 years advocating for equal recognition of all family types. She argues that the right to form a family should not be contingent on religious affiliation, gender, or political approval. Rosenblum emphasizes that while life and love precede the law, the state's current approach creates discrimination through bureaucratic hurdles and unequal rights.
Rosenblum rejects the notion that Israeli society is not ready for civil marriage, stating that societal norms and family structures have already evolved. She criticizes the political maneuvering that keeps civil marriage a subject of coalition bargaining, arguing that people's lives are being used as political leverage. The status quo, she contends, is a political choice, not an immutable fact, and its cost is borne by individuals whose lives are constrained by an inflexible system.
She clarifies that the push for civil marriage is not an attempt to abolish religious marriage but to ensure true freedom of choice. This includes the option for religious marriage, civil marriage, or cohabitation without formal marriage. Rosenblum asserts that democracy's role is to protect freedom and ensure no one imposes their beliefs on others, rather than dictating the definition of family or marriage.
Rosenblum calls for legislation that allows free choice in formalizing partnerships in Israel, alongside the existing option of religious marriage. She believes this is not an anti-religious move but a step towards freedom, equality, and human dignity. The core issue, she states, is whether the state recognizes its citizens' right to shape their lives or conditions their rights based on a predefined mold. After 28 years and eight governments, the problem is not the impossibility of a solution but the decision not to implement one.