Hate to break it to you but religion does not have a monopoly on marriage. People should be free to choose, time to seperate state from relgion and allow civil marriage, only then will Israel be on the road to becoming a true democracy. It is outrageous that thousands of couples are forced to leave the country to get married. those who want a religious wedding can but they have no right whatso ever to deny others freedom of choice.

Western civilization act irresponsable to principle basics of familly ethics and morals, and their decadent approach eroded the minimum requirements of marriage. Facts are; rate of marriage and birthrate are low, socialy bankrupt, pervert moralty. Am Israel is defend by our tradition frm this balagan which you promote, thinking that the grass of the neighborough is greener, typical BS.

This two definitions contradict it self -Make up your mind what do you want to be a Jewish State or Western Democracy ,...

IMHO,the issue of a lack of freedom to get married in Israel is a shame for a State that calls itself "democratic". It won´t be a real democracy in Israel until the separation between the super-dominant Rabbinate and the Civil (secular) Government. As a matter of fact, one of the main issues that the Antisemites use to delegitimize Israel, and call it "Apartheid", is the lack of religious freedom. The solution of this problem is simple: Separate right now the State and the Religion, to become Israel in a "DEMOCRATIC Jewish State". This action will allow the sanction of a Civil Marriage Law, and also will allow every person to follow his/her faith without any coercion, including the atheists and agnostics.

Haim, the problem with separating the state from religion in Israel is the law of return. For being the only jewish country in the world, any proven jew has the right to live there. If you separate the state from religion, say goodbye to the law of return.

I am not a haredi, not even a 100% observant Jew, however, just because we live in the time of the recent unprecedented freedom, I came to realize during my teenage years in the communist Czechoslovakia that the sanctity of the marriage according to the halacha, is on of the key ingredients of the survival of the Jewish people in the long run. It has nothing to do with the separation of the state and religion, it has to do with the basic laziness of young couples to short cut the traditional marriage according the Jewish law and to undermine that notion in the Jewish state, is a recipe for future disaster. Instead of complaining like cry babies, get on with the qualification for a Jewish wedding. It may not be easy, however, who said that everything in life, specially in the Jewish life, has to be easy.

Ok, two gays can not get married with a chupah in Israel, does that mean we are a nasty group? A man can not marry his cow no matter how much milk she gives, so does that mean we have restrictions over freedom of marriage? We are a Jewish state and as such we do differentiate between Jews and non Jew, but then again we allow people to emigrate if they do not like out laws. Basically, Hiddush - Freedom of Religion for Israel, is a front for 'Jews who don't want to be Jews movement' and people like this should have left Israel a long time ago.

Israel used to spearhead social advancement and liberalism. Equal rights to women since its first day including the right to vote while many European states still wouldn't let half their population at the ballots. Second female head of state in the world was Golda Meir. Tel Aviv was proclaimed the gay capital of the world and holds international parades every year. For such a liberal country, especially in the Middle East, this is a dark corner in our state that must be amended with civil and gay marriage, as well as marriages under other Jewish sects. The ultra religious, including a few commentors here would no doubt object in their attempt to force their vision upon hard working Israelis on who they can and can't live the rest of their lives with. But if we listened to them then we wouldn't even have a Jewish state in the first place as they considered it blasphemy, and in this age they'd just "settle" for a dark age Halacha state. So to pre-empt these comments; you didn't build this country. You don't contribute to it even now and only live as a burden. You don't serve in the army and risk your lives to defend your families and people. You. don't. get. to make policies then and certainly not steal and deny basic rights from those that did build this country. Israel will not magically be non Jewish if people get to marry in it without your personal blessing, but what do you know about Judaism? Even habeit haleumi is just goyim for you. For those of you who'd tell me to move to another country so you can take over this state and turn it to a Halacha theocracy I say that YOU can pack up and move. Iran isn't far away and it's exactly what you're after. Orthodox monopoly is being shattered. Civil marriage will be legalized in this government term and gay marriage will follow.

What marriages we do recognise. Because we recognise every marriage, if someone does get married abroad even if it is a gay marriage, it is recognised here. Even more so, we have the possibility of change, most muslim countries do not.

Just don't be surprised when the rest of the world starts talking like Ahamadinejad, about the criminal Zionists who are not really Jewish and want to destroy Judaism. Israel has NO BASIS without Torah.

"it has to do with the basic laziness of young couples to short cut the traditional marriage" "Instead of complaining like cry babies, get on with the qualification for a Jewish wedding. It may not be easy" Are you even aware of what you're talking about? Belittling the situation like this and turning it into after-school homework? A divorced woman can't marry someone she loves simply because his last name is Cohen? Two people who love each other can't marry together just because one(or both) of them isn't Jewish? And don't get me started on gay marriage. How is this IN ANY WAY related to laziness and some sort of difficulty you can overcome if you try hard enough? These are hardline restrictions you oaf. Stop talking about what you have no clue about.

Democracy is a very large word that can have many shades. Israel is democratic in the sense that free elections determine its government, it has a ferociously free press, people can express freely their thoughts and can demonstrate, and everyone (Arabs included) benefits from social programs such health insurance and old age pension. Yes, it is true that some of its laws take into consideration being Jewish, but one can see in many countries known as democratic such restrictions required to the survival of its people and culture. For instance, here in Quebec where I live, children from French speaking parents and immigrant families MUST go to French schools, even though children from English speaking parents have the choice of going to either French or English schools. Bill 101 was passed years ago in Quebec to ensure this. Would anyone say that Canada is not democratic? Of course not. The French people's cultural survival in North America required this law, just as in Israel the special laws related to being Jewish are required for the survival of the Jewish people. You can find many other examples like that around the world. Before you jump into fast conclusions that betray your hate for Israel, try to understand what really democracy means around the world.

Although Israel has carried on from the British Mandate and Ottoman Empire in not allowing civil marriage inside Israel, the Israeli govt does recognise civil marriages performed outside israel. As a Jewish state Israel takes note that intermarriage is a Biblical prohibition, as is same-sex marriage. Take a look at the American Reform Movement and see the reslts of taking a liberal approach to Judaism. The Reform group openly supports same-sex marriage as well as actively gay and lesbian rabbis. These are customs that do not belong in the Holy Land.

You state: " A divorced woman can't marry someone she loves simply because his last name is Cohen? Two people who love each other can't marry together just because one(or both) of them isn't Jewish?" Yes, if you had any knowledge of what is a Jew and what are Jewish laws and customs, A Cohen can not marry a divorcee and a Jew can not marry a non-Jew. Where have you been living all of these years? If you don't like living as a Jew, go out of Israel and live like a non-Jew in all of the non-Jewish countries. They do not observe Jewish law; there you can live like a non-Jew; but Israel means Jewish and we have a state where we can live like a Jew with out being roasted by the non-Jews.

ever considered going into politics Haim, the political hierarchy needs more intelligent & focussed guys like you...I have been involved on a personal level on this very matter for years. A lack of a civil marriage system for hundreds of thousands of Israeli citizens is a damn disgrace. I'm not sure though how Govt. policy can change with successive administrations political reliance on the religious mafia who increasingly pull the policy strings. Also, Israel is not one of the 47 countries which are signed up to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) so where is the Political, Legal, NGO etc pressure going to come from to introduce a Civil Marriage System ???

Jews and Persians have survived for over 5 millenia. Let's see you do it.

Spare me your step dancing, either you're pregnant or not. The instance in Quebec was imposed as a result of democratic vote not by their clergy believes based on fairy tales ,...

1. Can Homosexuals (et.al.) have legally recognized unions in Iran? They can in Israel 2. Can heterosexuals have written agreements that serve as marriage contracts in Iran? They can in Israel 3. Can either Homosexuals (et.al.) and heterosexuals by-pass the religious marriage authority in Iran? They can in Israel. and that's just three examples. and for the record the researcher should read parshat emor and its commentary in order to fully understand that while a convert may not marry a Cohen once she does marry him their marriage is classified as "illegal but valid" Which is to say I think this researcher is just pushing his own agenda and it is a "fascist hippie" agenda at that.

Is Japan considered to be democracy? What about Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia (new EC members)? Majority of people in the world would consider those countries to be democracies. However it comes with limitations. In Japan there are laws, limiting citizenship only to ethnic Japanese, irrespective whether or not the person was born in Japan. If non Japanese spouse divorces his/her Japanese one, he/she is kicked out of country irrespective whether they have children or not. Is it democratic from the Western perspective? Is it Western democracy? They answer is: yes, it's democracy, but the Eastern one. The new Baltic States I mentioned have language and citizhenship laws, preferable to the ethnic majority of those countries. They aren't considered to be democratic from the western point of view, but again - they are Eastern European democracies.

G-D beware .

In both Israel and Quebec these laws were decided by the parliament, in Israel by the Knesset and in Quebec by L'Assemblée nationale! You are not only ignorant but a coward who is afraid to publish his name and location.

You never have anything intelligent to say.

We're talking about the right of getting married and enjoying all its rights... You're talking about unions. That is not the same thing. People are free to be and live with whoever they want in Israel, yet not everybody has the right to get married, as in Iran.

why b so busy with what others think and want for you? Just be as you are.

Get your facts strait. You've made gross mistakes. Most Halacha problems can be solved. Moslems and Christians marry in Israel. Enough of Jews hating Jews!

In Israel the rabinate decides who gets married or not, they have the monopoly ,... To have the nerve to compare Quebec's language requirement in public schools ignoring the fact that charter does not apply to colleges, universities and non-subsidized private institutions to rabinate's monopoly on marriages tells me who you are and how to deal with you ,... You don't have to publish your name and location I can recognise hasbara peddler when I see one ,...

your beloved Israel is NOT a first world country.

Despite the limitations (real or not) you mentioned they're not imposed by their rebbe's believes based on fairy tales ,... The Japanese just like you believe to be chosen and supreme to the rest of us ,... I don't know what do you mean Baltic states but if you mean Estonia there are almost 400 thousand Estonians with Russian roots.The Estonian Citizenship Act provides liberal requirements for naturalisation of those people who had arrived in the country after 1940, That is a knowledge of language, constitution and a pledge of loyalty to Estonia were set as the conditions. Now, tell us can any non-Jew living in Israel become a citizen on those conditions ?,...