News
Controversy over Jewish Home same-sex marriage position; Galant joins Kulanu
Accusations were traded yesterday between political leaders over Jewish Home’s opposition to same-sex marriage.
Ahead of next week’s Jewish Home primaries, religious Zionist website Kipa interviewed 17 of the party’s parliamentary candidates and asked them a variety of questions, including their views on same-sex marriage. The vast majority opposed the idea, including current MKs Nissan Slomiansky, Motti Yogev and Deputy Religious Affairs Minister Eli Ben Dahan.
The video clip prompted sharp condemnation from leaders of rival parties. Hatnuah leader Tzipi Livni, who heads a joint ticket with Labour’s Isaac Herzog said that “Jewish Home has come out of the closet … they are a backward, homophobic and racist party.” Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid also accused Jewish Home of homophobia, saying that “Every two people have the right to love each other and get married.”
However, Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett responded fiercely, telling Channel Ten “Of course we oppose single-sex marriages. It goes against Judaism. The difference is that I am not a hypocrite. I say my positions.” Bennett claimed that “Yair Lapid and ‘Buji’ [Herzog] will post again how much they are for it [same-sex marriage]” but that in practice “They won’t do it, because they want a left-wing government with the ultra-Orthodox,” adding “LGBT people should know that they’re being manipulated.”
Only marriages sanctioned by a religious authority are legally recognised in Israel. In the absence of civil marriage, same-sex marriage is currently unrecognised. However, same-sex couples enjoy the same social and tax benefits as heterosexual couples, a move supported by Jewish Home.
In another election campaign development, Maj Gen (res) Yoav Galant was yesterday officially unveiled as a parliamentary candidate for Moshe Kahlon’s new Kulanu Party. Galant adds significant security credentials to a socio-economic focused party. Galant commented yesterday, “Without security, we won’t have economic stability. Without social justice, no one will carry the burden in a battle.”