The first part of a bill by the Yisrael Beiteinu party to recognize civil marriages between two partners who have no official religion received partial approval Sunday by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation. The new bill would allow immigrants - the population base of Yisrael Beiteinu - with no religion to marry each other, but will not change the situation for couples where one partner is Jewish and the other is not. While such couples may marry in the framework of a religion other than Judaism, or in a civil ceremony performed abroad, if they choose to marry in a secular ceremony in Israel the union will not be recognized.
When it joined the coalition, Yisrael Beiteinu dropped a demand to allow civil ceremonies between Jews and non-Jews, as part of a deal that aimed to satisfy both Yisrael Beiteinu and religious parties in the government.