Obama gay marriage remarks spark debate among Israeli MKs, ministers

[Scurrilous]

Finance Minister says Israel unlikely to recognize gay marriage soon, while Yair Lapid and Shelly Yacimovich come out in support of same-sex marriage on Facebook; most U.S. Jewish groups praise Obama's stance.

<snip>

"Comments by U.S. President Barack Obama in support of same-sex marriage in an ABC News interview on Wednesday have sparked debate in among Israeli ministers and MKs, and also among U.S. Jewish groups.

Speaking to a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender group within the Likud party on Thursday, Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz said that Israel is unlikely to recognize same-sex marriage in the foreseeable future, but said that he was reconsidering his opposition to such a measure.

Steinitz said, referring to a possible move to support same-sex marriage here, "I don't see that happening in the State of Israel in the near future." He did, however, tell 25 members of the Likud LGBT group, established five months ago, that he was reconsidering his opposition to such a measure."

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/obama-gay-marriage-remarks-spark-debate-among-israeli-mks-ministers-1.429577

[Swede Atlanta]

1. Hey Israel..take a page from your own playbook....

As you torture and detain Palestinians and make their lives miserable.....

The matter of gay marriage in the U.S. is none of your business. This is an "internal" matter.

We will contact you when we need you. Hopefully we will wean you off of the American military teat. You need to "man up" and be a real country.

[oberliner]

2. I think you misunderstood the article

Israelis are not interfering with the internal matter of gay marriage in the US.

Rather, it seems that Obama's statements have helped stimulate the conversation within Israel about their own approach to gay marriage.

This seems like a positive development.

Hopefully similar conversations will start to happen in other countries around the world that do not recognize gay marriage.

[LeftishBrit]

3. Who ever suggested that gay marriage in the US WAS Israel's business?

They are discussing whether to institute gay marriage in Israel, not the USA.

[FrodosPet]

5. Pride March in Gaza?

Where would you feel safer - a pride march in Tel Aviv or in Nuseirat?

I suspect that while there are dangerous homophobes in both places, Israel has the more enlightened population and government.

[azurnoir]

4. It would seem that if there was a time ripe for Israel to allow same sex or interfaith marriage

it is now with the new secular super majority of Likud and Kadima in the Knesset, the approval of the small religious parties is no longer needed to hold a coalition together, so what's the hold up?