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ANOTHER ISRAELI FIRST- A FREEDOM OF CHOICE IN MARRIAGE "AIR LIFT" TO CYPRUS- Under the Slogan- " Freedom of Choice in Marriage is not Pie in the Sky"
On
July 23, 2002, Shai and Michal, a young Israeli Jewish couple celebrated
a mock protest "civil marriage" on the tamarack at Sde Dov Air
Port near Tel Aviv prior to being flown to Cyprus for a real civil marriage
which must be legally recognized in Israel under the requirements of International
law. The captain of the aircraft owned by a new Israeli Air Line called
" Love in the Skies" specifically set up to "air-lift"
Israeli couples to Cyprus for civil marriage cerimonies officiated at
the Sde Dov protest cerimony. The slogan emboldened on the side of the
plane said " Freedom of Choice in Marriage is Not Pie in the Sky"
This new protest against the draconian and unegalitarian regulations and
requirements of the marriage monopoly held by the Orthodox Rabbinate in
Israel was sponsored by the Israeli Forum for Freedom of Choice in Marriage
- established by Shatil of the New Israel Fund and Managed by HEMDAT.
The cerimony was attended by the young couple's familly and friends and
members of the press and electronic media.
At the
cerimony, the air-craft's captain declared " Today we here on this
spot, celebrate the marriage cerimony of Shai and Michal and their right
to freely identify themselves with the life and culture of the Jewish
people without the need of the intervention of any rabbinical authority
They in this act declare their determination to join together freely in
their search for meaning in their Jewish roots outside of the frame- work
of any of the religious authorities".
As part of the Forum's activist/advocacy program, a draft law proposing
freedom of choice in marriage was brought to a vote in the Knesset after
months of intensive lobbying, at the same time and was supported by a
broad coaltion of 34 Knesset members who voted in favor. However, the
Ultra-Orthodox political parties mobilized a majority against the bill
with the active support of Prime Minister Sharon, who needs their votes
to hold his right wing coaltion together.
Zamira Segev, Executive Director of HEMDAT and Manager of the Forum for
Freedom of Choice in Marriage told the media that "We are continuing
our struggle to achieve freedom of choice in marrage in Israel for all
those who desire to have a civil marriage or prefer Reform or Conservative
marriage cerimonies which are currently not recognized by Israel law.
The day will come when the Freedom of Choice in Marriage Law will be approved
by the Knesset, but untill them we will provide Israelis with every possible
option for alternatives in marriage including civil marrages abroad, marriage
contracts, and Reform and Conservative cerimonies, hundreds of which take
place each year,.despite the fact that they are not recognized by the
Israeli Orthodox Rabbinate.According to our estimates some 25% of all
Israeli young couples look for and find althernative forms of marriage
and avoid at all costs marriages under the control of the Israeli Orthodox
Rabbinate."