Same-sex couples will be allowed to use surrogate mothers in Israel to have children, the Supreme Court ruled on Sunday.
"
We cannot accept the persistent and contrary to human rights prejudice of the existing system on surrogacy,
" the court said, adding that restrictions for same-sex couples and single men must be lifted within six months. .
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When it comes to gay rights, Israel is the best student in the Middle East. Surrogacy has been legalized in the country since 1996, but only for heterosexual couples and then for single women. The Jewish state has several openly gay men in parliament, but so far they have used surrogacy in countries such as India, Nepal, Thailand and the United States. This measure, the result of a fight of more than 10 years for its defenders, is seen by the conservatives as eroding family values.
Last year, the Supreme Court ordered lawmakers to end discrimination over surrogacy within 12 months, saying the exclusion of same-sex couples and single men was unconstitutional.
But ultra-Orthodox conservative lawmakers in Israel's parliament have thwarted a proposal to expand access to this procedure.
This decision is likely to cause friction within the new government coalition.
This indeed includes the Meretz formation, of which President Nitzan Horowitz is openly gay, but also the conservative Islamist Raam, who described homosexuals as "
deviants
".
“
Equality, finally!
Minister of Health Horowitz tweeted, assuring that his ministry would prepare to receive surrogacy requests from men.