A petition was filed with the High Court of Justice last year by Israel’s Gay Fathers Association and the Israel Religious Action Center against the Social Affairs Ministry. The petition seeks to give equal rights to adopt a child to same-gender couples R”L as other heterosexual couples enjoy. The Social Affairs Minister Chaim Katz and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked were instructed to submit their position on the matter by February 2017.

A hearing was held on Friday during which the state asked for additional time as it has yet to formulate a position. It is explained that today, toeiva couples can adopt children that are not taken for adoption by heterosexual couples.

There was a committee headed by retired judge Yehoshua Gross, which studied the matter for a decade and at the end, it did not submit a policy or recommendation, preferring to leave this up to the relevant ministry or the courts.

While the court was quite critical of the state agencies, an extension until July 2, 2017 was granted. The government’s attorney also received a warning, that if the government is once again unprepared, the court will issue a temporary injunction favoring the petitioner.

The petitioners maintain the Gross Committee studied many reports over the span of the decade and realized there was no advantage to adoption by heterosexual couples as opposed to same-gender couples. It adds the state’s adoption law has been virtually unchanged for thirty years other than State Attorney General Mani Mazuz permitting one of the same-gender parents to adopt a child but not a couple.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)