A bill that would have allowed civil marriages for Israeli couples who could not be married by the rabbinate failed by a large margin in its initial reading.
The Civil Union Bill, introduced Feb. 24 by the Kadima Party’s Meir Sheetrit, was defeated 58-22.
The bill sought to legalize a civil marriage where at least one member of a couple is not recognized as Jewish.
The bill did not contravene Jewish law since it does not allow civil marriages for those who may marry by Jewish law, according to Sheetrit’s office. — jta