More and more couples have had enough of their insulting degrading proceedures and prefer to find an altrnative. Sad thing is they have to do this abroad as Israel a country that claims to be a democracy is far from it, About time to seperate state from religion and introduce civil marriage. Those who want to go via the rabbinute way are welcome to do so but they have no right what so ever to force this on other people. It is a basic human right to marry who ever you choose and not according to state.

the current situation. Allowing the orthoquack to have a stanglehold on marriage in modern day Israel is akin to the Phlippines not allowing divorce. That is cruel. The orthoquack schnorrers are not the guardians to the gates of heaven. They are far from being truly eriliche yidden. They are more like schnorrers and dover acheirim. Don't entrust them with anything. We Jews have overcome great odds, including the establishment of the State. The orthoquack did not want the state. They would have prefered to live under the yoke of the goyim. It was that warped logic that allowed them to walk into the gates of Auschwitz without a peep. Israel is the home of the new Jew, strong, determined, disciplined and repectful of his/ her heritage. Thats the way it is supposed to be. FYI My younger kid who is very frum(payos and a beard) is now training to be a tank commander. He is proud, strong, determined and respectful of his heritage. He will not allow himself to be led into a Ghetto because some Rabbi tells him its the way to go. He is ready to sacrifice his life to protect all of Israel, including the ones that the orthoquack dont deem to be Jewish enough. Allow civil union and move on.

My advice to anyone thinking of getting married abroad is to fully do your research before you do anything. The case of the Schlesinger twins in Vienna exposes major alleged corruption and legal brick walls. Be aware of the Hague convention and how it is usually used against women who attempt to protect their children from abusive fathers. Take a look at http://helpbeth.org for an example of such a horrific case.

I agree that it is time for civil marriages to be allowed in Israel. Not because I jump for joy when Jews marry out, but because religious coercion has never convinced a Jew to become more religious. On the contrary, it distances a Jew from his religion/heritage. I am all in favor of Jewish education in the schools teaching Jewish children in Israel to understand and be proud of their heritage. If Judaism is seen as something beautiful, rather than liver and spinach being stuffed down your throat then there will be less likely a chance that Jews (in Israel) will want to marry out.

of Israel part of these polls?

The other 1% are liable to be stoned !

these statistics dont tell you much of anything. large numbers were marrying non-israelis. you think that they may want to marry in the country that non-israeli is from (e.g. an american and an israeli marrying in maerica). the statistics didnt even disinguish between israelis who live abroad and those who live in israel

I hope that I'm not the only reader to enjoy your tb. As for that 1% and regardless of how stoned they may be, there's always Massachusetts if they're OK, or Iowa, if they're totally disliked :-)

Israel is a modern democracy, so civil marriages should be allowed.

At that, Jehovah's said to me: “ Throw it to the treasury—the majestic value with which I have been valued from their standpoint.” Accordingly I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw it into the treasury at the house of Jehovah. (Zechariah 11:13) Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying: “And they took the thirty silver pieces, the price upon the man that was priced, the one on whom some of the sons of Israel set a price,(Matthew 27:9) This proves that Jesus Christ is the son of God.

Great seeing all these non jewish Russians leaving the country. Israel should do everything it can to help them all resettle abroad.

Civil marriage, buses on Shabbat, non-kosher restaurants, etc etc - I thought that Israel was a Jewish country and that's why I made aliyah. But with nothing Jewish here, why would I leave everything and move here? There are certainly plenty of other countries to live in if I didn't want a Jewish country. We cannot be a full democracy if we want to keep Israel Jewish.