An interesting editorial in today’s Jerusalem Post calls for the institution of civil marriages in Israel, an idea whose time is long overdue:
The obvious solution has yet to be formally presented: the institution of civil marriage and divorce for all those prevented from creating a recognized conjugal unit today. Any country that does not guarantee this essential right fails to safeguard one of the most elementary building blocks of individual wellbeing.
The issue of providing marital privileges to all is now at the top of the country’s domestic human-rights agenda. As the country continues to contend with the way it treats its minorities and the population of the territories still under its control, it can also resolve this problem.
This year Israel can finally take the long overdue step of liberating hundreds of thousands of its citizens from the confines of an anachronistic system by enabling them to join together in marriage within their own country.
Israel needs to remove religious jurisdiction over marriage and divorce. It really is that simple. Religious people can still be married by an Orthodox Rabbi – just as they can in Canada, or the US – but those either not wishing to or unable to should have the civil alternative available. Israel has the responsibility of making this fundamental right available to all its citizens.
Sorry, gotta disagree.
“liberating hundreds of thousands of its citizens from the confines of an anachronistic system”
Israel is not a secular western country. There is less separation of church and state in Israel than in most ‘western’ countries. Why? Because Israel is a ‘Jewish state’. These are some of the foundations of the country and anyone trying to make Israel into a ‘secular’ state with separation between chuch and state is interested in the destruction of the state as we know it.
There are many hip organizations with these missions; Shinui, Meretz, the New Israel Fund, Adallah, the PLO… All of them want to take the only things that make Israel unique and erase them in the disguise of ‘progress’. They are foaming at the mouth because they see Israel losing it’s Jewish character and therefore its desire to continue fighting.
The smart anti-semites use these causes to destroy Israel from within.
The day Israel becomes ‘like all other nations’ (what does
Josh, I’m sorry but that’s just a false parallel.
Do you meant to tell me that secular Jewish Israelis aren’t part of the essential character of the “Jewish state”? Remember, Israel was founded on the notion of democracy, equality, and freedom of religion. Israel as a “Jewish state” will continue to exist with Judaism as a nationality and heritage. And Orthodox Jews will continue to get married under Orthodox jurisdiction should they so choose. But what of Israelis wanting to get married in Conservative or Reform ceremonies? Or those who the Rabbinate won’t allow to get married for a multitude of other reasons?
Your comparison of Shinui to the PLO is not only wrong, it’s extremely insulting. It is not necessary to pray three times a day or keep strictly kosher to be Jewish and a proud supporter of the state and future of Israel. To suggest otherwise is to shut out most of Israel’s population.