Knesset Speaker Ohana votes for civil marriage bill, enraging ultra-Orthodox parties

By Ariela Karmel

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24 December 2025, 5:50 pm

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Ariela Karmel is a political correspondent at The Times of Israel. She previously reported for Calcalist and Haaretz. She holds an MA in Middle Eastern and African History from Tel Aviv University and a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.

Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana speaks during a plenum session at the parliament in Jerusalem, February 17, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana votes in favor of a civil marriage bill proposed by the opposition, infuriating the ultra-Orthodox parties, which fiercely oppose civil marriage and have been part of the governing coalition for much of its term.

The bill failed to pass.

Jews who seek to get married in Israel may officially do so only via the Orthodox Chief Rabbinate. Israel has no civil marriage due to the objections of religious political parties, but recognizes weddings performed abroad, an option chosen by a growing number of people including LGBTQ Israelis, who cannot get married under the rabbinate’s auspices.

Ohana is the first openly gay person to hold the key role of Knesset speaker.

Yitzhak Goldknopf, chair of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party, accuses Ohana of “blatantly trampling upon our sacred Torah, contrary to the understandings that had existed until now and to the historic alliance between Likud and the ultra-Orthodox parties, which was based on preserving the values of Jewish tradition.”

“The Government of Israel, headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, continues to violate all the agreements and understandings with the ultra-Orthodox sector. Today, [Ohana] went even further,” he continues.

The party’s Degel HaTorah faction says that Ohana’s support for the bill amounts to a “violation of the agreement between Likud and United Torah Judaism to preserve the status quo.”

“The mistake we made in agreeing to Likud’s request and supporting him as speaker of the Knesset will not happen again,” the statement continues.

The ultra-Orthodox Shas party says that Ohana’s support for the bill proves “that he is unfit for his role as speaker of the Knesset of the religious camp.”

Ohana receives support from fellow Likud MK Dan Illouz, who posts on X, “A reminder for those who are confused: Likud is a nationalist, liberal, Zionist and traditional party, not a branch of Degel HaTorah. Ohana faithfully represents our DNA.”