Israel will now be like most of the Western world in which the legal marital age for boys and girls will be 18-years-old.
After a long battle, the Knesset committee approved legislation that increase the legal marriage age from 17 to 18-years-old. Hundreds of underage marriages are reportedly taking place in Israel each year, mostly involving young women.
The Knesset's Constitution, and Law and Justice committees approved the bill to raise the age of marriage. This bill, which was proposed by Meretz Chairwoman Zahava Gal-On, Yariv Levin of Likud and other Knesset members, was first proposed in 2004.
The bill has been stalled in the Knesset mainly due to opposition from ultra-Orthodox Jewish groups. The new law sets the minimum marriage age to 18, but allows the courts to approve younger people to get married in special circumstances, such as being beneficial to the children.
However, the court will have to hear from the youngsters themselves, and under no circumstances can they approve marriages for those under 16-years-old.
“Rabbinical courts should be authorized to approve younger people to get married and not just the civil courts," deputy Uri Maklev of the United Torah Judaism party said. “Some families traditionally marry young. It will be a mistake not to allow them to do so.This is a violation of their civil rights," Maklev added.
"Today the Knesset has sent an important public message that it seeks to safeguard the rights of minors, and not just abandon them to their fates,” Zehava Gal-On said.
"The main victims of these marriages are girls," Gal -On also said. “Some parents marry them by force or under great pressure in the view that a woman's place is in the home and that her be-all and end-all is to raising children. We want girls and women to marry willingly, and with the full understanding of the repercussions of getting married and raising a family," she added.
After a long battle, the Knesset committee approved legislation that increase the legal marriage age from 17 to 18-years-old. Hundreds of underage marriages are reportedly taking place in Israel each year, mostly involving young women.
The Knesset's Constitution, and Law and Justice committees approved the bill to raise the age of marriage. This bill, which was proposed by Meretz Chairwoman Zahava Gal-On, Yariv Levin of Likud and other Knesset members, was first proposed in 2004.
The bill has been stalled in the Knesset mainly due to opposition from ultra-Orthodox Jewish groups. The new law sets the minimum marriage age to 18, but allows the courts to approve younger people to get married in special circumstances, such as being beneficial to the children.
However, the court will have to hear from the youngsters themselves, and under no circumstances can they approve marriages for those under 16-years-old.
“Rabbinical courts should be authorized to approve younger people to get married and not just the civil courts," deputy Uri Maklev of the United Torah Judaism party said. “Some families traditionally marry young. It will be a mistake not to allow them to do so.This is a violation of their civil rights," Maklev added.
"Today the Knesset has sent an important public message that it seeks to safeguard the rights of minors, and not just abandon them to their fates,” Zehava Gal-On said.
"The main victims of these marriages are girls," Gal -On also said. “Some parents marry them by force or under great pressure in the view that a woman's place is in the home and that her be-all and end-all is to raising children. We want girls and women to marry willingly, and with the full understanding of the repercussions of getting married and raising a family," she added.
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