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."