Upon completion of the registration process, Tel Aviv-Jaffe residents will be provided with a certificate that will streamline access to municipal rights and services, such as education access for children, community center discounts and parking permits for partners not on municipal property tax documents.
"Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality has taken a ground-breaking decision to enable the registration of unmarried couples, which has led to a wave of similar decisions in local authorities across the country. More than one million Israeli citizens now live in local authorities that recognize their partnership – even if they are unable or do not wish to marry through the rabbinate. This process is intensifying and will provide great leverage over the Interior Ministry to recognize such registrations, and over the Knesset to permit spousal agreements – and eventually also civil marriages," Pinkas Arad said.
"We are excited to open the registration today and come full circle together with Yoav, my partner. We were married by the City of Toronto exactly 16 years ago, but our marriage has not been recognized by the State of Israel until today. I call on all municipal leaders to join this initiative and for the Knesset to do what it should have done decades ago, by enabling equal civil marriages for all," Pinkas Arad added.
"I welcome the addition of registration for couples to the municipal databases. Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality recognizes every couple. The registration makes this clear and eases the bureaucracy for couples. I hope that the Israeli government will soon close the gap and step forward into the twenty-first century, by implementing equal rights in matters of personal status," said Tel Aviv-Yafo Mayor Ron Huldai in light of the new policy.