Ministers and Knesset members from religious factions fumed at the High Court of Justice's decision Tuesday to grant same sex couples who were married abroad marital status in Israel's interior ministry’s population registrar.
MK Yitzhak Cohen (Shas) responded Tuesday to and said, “The High Court of Justice just removed the last mezuzah from its doors.”
He continued, “Marriage is only in accordance with Jewish law. Thanks to the court, the dam protecting the only Jewish state in the world has been broken, and it will invite a black caped anti-Jewish flood.”
MK Meir Porush (United Torah Judaism) said, “If Justice Elyakim Rubinstein wants to express his revulsion with such a disgusting ruling, he should resign from duty immediately.”
Another faction member, MK Moshe Gafni, also expressed shock at the verdict, “Barak is leaving us a farewell gift tantamount to a destruction of the family unit. Any sane person is shocked by the ruling. Even Sodom and Gomorrah had court houses.”
'Court is last defender of human rights'
MK Yitzhak Levy of the National Union-National Religious faction said, “The ruling has led the wide public in Israel to express its distrust with the High Court of Justice and what it represents.”
MK Zevulun Orlev of the National Union-NRP faction said, "For those wanting the State of Israel
asa Jewish state, today is a day of mourning."
Left factions on the other hand saw the ruling in a positive light. MK Ran Cohen (Meretz-Yahad) said, “We’ve confirmed that the High Court of Justice is the last defender of human and individual rights in Israel,” he said.
MK Zahava Gal-On, chairwoman of the Meretz faction, also congratulated the decision, and said, “The decision is another significant step in the road to fully acknowledging the equal rights of single sex families.” Gal-On called on Interior Minister Ronnie Bar-On to implement the decision.
Ronnie Sofer contributed to this story