it came to adopting in Israel. But now, all of
that is changing:
The Welfare Ministry has decided to facilitate the
process of child adoption for same-sex couples and single-parent
families in Israel, and has recently granted 30 lesbian couples
permission to adopt a child together, or to adopt their partner’s
child.Until recently, same-sex and single-parent families have suffered
legal discrimination, as the law in Israel permits only “normative”
households, namely those composed of a man and a woman, to adopt in
Israel.However, a committee founded by Welfare Minister Isaac Herzog to
review the issue has formulated a new plan that would enable gays
and singles to adopt children in the country. Those wishing to do
so would be required to undergo routine tests to evaluate their
parenting abilities, regardless of their sexual orientation.Herzog’s initiative was lauded by organizations that support
same-sex families. Attorney Ira Hadar, one of the leaders of the
legal struggle for same-sex families who herself adopted children
with her partner, said that the new plan would make life easier
“for thousands lesbian families and dozens of gay families that
raise children together but are not registered as their adopting
parents.”