[JURIST] The Supreme Court of Israel [official website, in Hebrew] ruled 6-1 Tuesday that same-sex marriages [JURIST report] ordained abroad must be recognized by the state [ACRI press release]. The ruling does not allow for same-sex civil marriages to occur in Israel but mandates that the government recognize the unions if performed in other nations. While gay rights activists are encouraged by the decision, one lawmaker from the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community are labeled it "the destruction of the family unit in the state of Israel."

Several couples, represented by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), last year petitioned the Israeli court to review the issue [ACRI press release; JURIST report], arguing that the failure of the Ministry of Interior's Population Registrar to register the marriages constituted "unlawful discrimination" and breached the couples' basic rights. AP has more. Haaretz has local coverage.