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Recognition of same-sex unions in Israel
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<p> <a href="/facts/Marriage_in_Israel/srycw3vx">Marriage in Israel</a> is regulated by the religious courts of recognized <a href="/facts/Confessional_communities/SYfC5L2H">confessional communities</a>, none of which perform <a href="/facts/Interfaith_marriage/PhNkaKh5">interfaith</a> or <a href="/facts/Same-sex_marriage/J2dpSgaV">same-sex marriages</a>. Domestic <a href="/facts/Civil_marriage/FW8jfu5I">civil marriage</a> is not recognized in <a href="/facts/Israel/dEe3IcaY">Israel</a>; however, civil marriages performed in foreign jurisdictions, including same-sex marriages, are recognized with full marital rights under Israeli law. </p><p>Marriages performed in Israel are only legally recognized when registered with one of the 15 religious marital courts recognized by the state, none of which permit same-sex marriage. In November 2006, the <a href="/facts/Supreme_Court_of_Israel/BcqcvxVQ">High Court of Justice</a> ruled that same-sex marriages performed abroad may be registered in Israel. Consequently, Israeli same-sex couples who wished to have their marriages recognized by the government had to marry outside Israel, in a jurisdiction where such marriages were legal, and then register upon returning home. In July 2022, the Central District Court ruled that marriages performed via an online civil marriage service established by the <a href="/facts/U.S._state/PFwcRIYQ">U.S. state</a> of <a href="/facts/Utah/te7zUyBX">Utah</a>, including same-sex marriages, are legal in Israel, removing the necessity of leaving the country to get married. The ruling was upheld by the <a href="/facts/Supreme_Court_of_Israel/BcqcvxVQ">Supreme Court</a> in 2023. </p><p>Polling suggests that a majority of <a href="/facts/Israelis/Xx9g0vP1">Israelis</a> support the legal recognition of same-sex unions, with a June 2019 opinion poll conducted by <a href="/facts/Hiddush_(organization)/9t9GJaI2">Hiddush</a> showing that 78% of Israelis supported recognizing same-sex unions. </p>