FIRST ISRAELI LOVE BOAT
“CIVIL MARRIAGE” CEREMONY HELD

On February 2, 2002 Gili and Sagi, a young Israeli couple, took part in an historic Israeli first - a “civil marriage” at sea. The egalitarian “civil marriage” ceremony was carried out on board the Yacht Millennium by the ship’s  Captain. The ceremony which  received wide TV, radio and press coverage was organized by the Forum for Freedom of Choice in Marriage, which is managed by HEMDAT. Both Gili and Sagi are Jewish and could have been married by the Rabbinate, but told Israel TV and the press that they firmly object to the non-egalitarian nature of the Jewish Orthodox marriage ceremony and the overt discrimination against the rights of the woman in the Ketuba  - the Orthodox marriage contract. It was their determined wish not to have any association with the Orthodox Rabbinate and thus chose a marriage contract which they drew up together with a lawyer, culminated by the protest symbolic, but not legal in Israel, “civil marriage” ceremony on board a ship at sea.

Ms Zamira Segev, HEMDAT’s Executive Director who serves as the coordinator of the Forum describe the symbolic  “civil marriage” ceremony as “ …a protest against the sad reality that there are no options in Israel for civil marriage by couples who prefer that form of marriage  over the only legal form of marriage in Israel under the Orthodox Rabbinate.”  It is sad indeed that we must resort to this form of media event to let the public know about this serious denial of basic civil rights in Israel society.  She said that the Forum is looking into arrangements for a regular “Love Boat marriage on board ship service” with a captain having the proper authority under his country's flag to carry out legally binding civil marriages at sea, leaving daily from Haifa and Tel Aviv. This service would allow couples desiring  civil marriages, which are legally accepted in Israel, to do so with out having to go abroad to Cyprus or other countries. According to current laws in Israel only Orthodox Jewish marriages can be carried out in Israel , but civil marriages carried out abroad under the jurisdiction of a foreign country are recognized in Israel..

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