Israeli couples who used Utah’s online marriage portal win legal victory in court

Published Thursday, Jul. 14th, 2022

A district court in Israel has ruled that the Interior Ministry must recognize and honor online civil marriage, including those performed through the virtual wedding service in Utah County, Utah.

A court in Israel has ruled that online marriages must be honored by the country’s Interior Ministry, including those performed through Utah County’s online marriage service here in the U.S.

This is a big win for Israeli couples who are otherwise forbidden to marry in Israel because of strict religious laws enforced by the conservative Interior Ministry.

Currently, only Orthodox Jewish marriages are allowed in Israel. All non-Orthodox couples must leave the country to legally wed, including all LGBTQ+ couples, interfaith couples, binational couples, immigrants, converts to Judaism, and many others.

Virtual weddings, like those provided by Utah County’s fully-online marriage portal, give these couples a safe and affordable alternative to marrying abroad. Dozens of Israeli couples have married this way since Utah’s virtual services first became available in early 2020.

But in 2021, Israel’s Interior Ministry took issue with online marriages, and refused to register any marriages solemnized this way. Several couples joined forces with a civil rights advocacy group, and filed a lawsuit challenging the Ministry’s decision to invalidate their unions.

As of last week, it appears they’ve won the right to marry online! At least for now.

If the court’s decision holds (and we hope it does), it will be a step toward marriage equality for all couples in Israel, and virtual weddings will continue to provide couples with a reliable, safe, affordable and legal way to marry – without leaving home.

Get the full scoop in Ron Kampeas's article for Forward.

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Jessica Levey

Lead Staff Writer & Illustrator

Jessica loves exploring the history and magic of ritual, the connections between people and places, and sharing true stories about love and commitment. She's an advocate for marriage equality, LGBTQ+ rights, and individuality, and is an ordained Minister with AMM. When she’s not writing or illustrating for AMM, she enjoys city hikes, fantasy novels, comics, and traveling.

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