Knesset Speaker’s Civil Marriage Vote Sparks Ultra-Orthodox Fury
Ultra-Orthodox parties accused gay Speaker Amir Ohana of violating coalition agreements after backing civil marriage.
Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, the first out gay leader of the Israeli parliament, angered the ultra-Orthodox parties within the conservative Likud-led governing coalition after voting in favor of a civil marriage bill last week.
The proposed bill, which was ultimately defeated, was introduced by the centrist Yesh Atid party, the largest faction in the opposition. It would have established a legal framework for regulating same-sex partnerships in Israel, including a couples registry, eligibility requirements, registration procedures, and mechanisms for dissolving civil marriages.
Had the bill passed, the civil registry would have operated separately from Israel’s existing religious marriage systems.
Currently, Jews seeking to marry in Israel must have their marriages approved and performed by the Orthodox Chief Rabbinate, the supreme authority for Orthodox Judaism.
Israel does not have its own system for civil marriage but does recognize marriages performed abroad — including same-sex marriages. Couples who marry outside the country can register their unions in Israel and are entitled to the same marital rights as those who marry through religious institutions.
Ohana’s vote triggered sharp backlash from Likud’s ultra-Orthodox partners.
Yitzhak Goldknopf, the chairman of the conservative United Torah Judaism party, accused the Benjamin Netanyahu-led Likud government of violating agreements and understandings with the ultra-Orthodox community. He said that by voting for the civil marriage bill, Ohana was “blatantly trampling” Jewish law.
The Degel HaTorah faction, a Lithuanian wing of United Torah Judaism led by Moshe Gafni, also condemned the speaker’s vote as a violation of agreements with Likud to preserve the religious status quo. The faction threatened not to back Ohana in any future bids for speaker, calling its support for him a “mistake” that would not be repeated.
The ultra-Orthodox Shas party, which remains part of the governing coalition, also condemned Ohana’s vote, accusing him of undermining the institution of marriage. The right-wing party said the proposed civil marriage bill could erode Israel’s Jewish identity and showed that Ohana is “unfit for his role as speaker of the Knesset of the religious camp.”
Ohana did receive support from fellow Likud lawmaker Dan Illouz, who wrote on X, “A reminder for those who are confused: Likud is a nationalist, liberal, Zionist and traditional party, not a branch of Degel HaTorah. Ohana faithfully represents our DNA.”
Yorai Lahav-Hertzano, a Knesset member from Yesh Atid who introduced the civil marriage bill, said its defeat proved that Israel’s current government is the most homophobic in the country’s history, according to Ynet News.
Lahav-Hertzano, who is gay, predicted that in Israel’s next government, opponents of LGBTQ rights would be relegated to the opposition, while the governing coalition would move to enshrine equal rights for LGBTQ people into law.
The controversy over Ohana’s vote comes amid heightened tensions between Likud and its governing partners, some of whom have questioned why ultra-Orthodox factions have supported the Likud government on issues they view as peripheral, while Likud has been less responsive to their priorities.
The episode also underscores how the Netanyahu government’s claims of progress on LGBTQ rights can be undercut when it caters to conservative allies in order to keep its governing coalition intact.
For example, in 2018, Netanyahu backtracked on promises to legalize surrogacy for same-sex couples after receiving pressure from Likud’s conservative and ultra-Orthodox allies. The Netanyahu government eventually legalized the practice in 2022. Similarly, the governing coalition failed to approve a bill — first introduced in 2019 — to legalize same-sex adoption, forcing same-sex couples and pro-LGBTQ advocates to turn to the courts and ask them to intervene on the issue. In 2023, the country’s High Court legalized the practice in a landmark court ruling.
For example, in 2018, Netanyahu backtracked on promises to legalize surrogacy for same-sex couples after pressure from Likud’s conservative and ultra-Orthodox allies, although the practice was eventually legalized in 2022. Similarly, the governing coalition failed to advance a bill — first introduced in 2019 — to legalize same-sex adoption, prompting same-sex couples and LGBTQ advocates to seek court intervention. In 2023, Israel’s High Court legalized same-sex adoption in a landmark ruling.
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