Objective coverage of church-state and religious liberty developments, with extensive links to primary sources.
Friday, December 05, 2014
Israeli Court Rules Messianics' Commercial Guest House Cannot Reject Same-Sex Wedding Reception
In Israel, a Jerusalem district court has held that the Messianic Jewish village of Yad Hashmonah violated Israel's anti-discrimination laws when it refused to rent out their guest house facilities to a lesbian couple for a wedding reception. According to yesterday's Israel Today, the court concluded that the guest house was operated as a secular commercial establishment open to the public and is thus subject to Israel's public accommodation anti-discrimination laws. It is completely separate from the village's religious meeting room. The court, affirming a damage award equivalent to $15,000 (US), rejected the village's argument that "the laws regulating freedom of religion must protect us from allowing a ceremony in our backyard which is in complete contradiction to our faith."
Labels:
Israel,
Public accommodation law,
Same-sex marriage