4 gay Israeli couples wed in Toronto
Four gay Israeli couples were married in Toronto on Friday, in an attempt to open doors in their own country to getting the unions recognized.
Etai Pinkas, 31, who serves on Tel Aviv's city council, said he and his partner plan to fight to get their marriage registered in Israel, even if they have to go to the Supreme Court.
His partner of nearly six years, Yoav Arad, 32, said he doesn't believe the state should be allowed to decide whether their partnership is permitted.
The four couples, accompanied by family and friends, made the cross-Atlantic journey to Toronto's City Hall because of Canada's openness to same-sex unions.
Most provinces and the Yukon have allowed the unions and the federal Liberals have introduced legislation to legalize same-sex marriage across the country.
Only the Netherlands and Belgium currently allow gay couples to marry, although a handful of other countries allow civil unions.
In Israel, Orthodox rabbis are the only ones allowed to perform marriage ceremonies for Jews and they are adamantly opposed to gay marriages.
Although countries normally recognize marriages performed elsewhere, the Israeli government has already said the country's laws don't recognize same-sex unions â regardless of where they're performed.
"The moment it does, we will register them," said Israeli Interior Ministry spokesman Sabin Hadad.