Marriage in Israel and Jewish Law
Overview
Jewish marriage practices are deeply tied to ethnic boundaries, religious law, and national identity. In Israel, marriage is governed by religious authorities, meaning there is no civil marriage for Jews within the country. Jewish law (Halakha) defines strict rules around marriage, heavily discouraging unions with non-Jews, and Israeli state law reinforces this separation.
Halakhic Restrictions
Jewish law forbids intermarriage with non-Jews. While this is often presented as a religious concern, the implications are primarily ethnic and communal:
- Jews may only marry other Jews under Orthodox religious authorities in Israel.
- A valid Jewish identity (matrilineal or approved conversion) is required.
- Conversions must be recognized by the Rabbinate, which excludes most Reform or Conservative converts.
Marriage in Israel
- All Jewish marriages in Israel are handled by the Orthodox Rabbinate. Civil marriage is not an option.
- Mixed marriages (e.g. Jew and non-Jew) are not permitted under religious law.
- Couples who cannot marry in Israel often travel abroad (e.g. Cyprus), and the Israeli government may recognize the marriage afterward—but only selectively.
- Israeli law also enforces a controversial "Citizenship and Entry Law", preventing Palestinians from the West Bank or Gaza from gaining citizenship through marriage to Israeli citizens.
Commentary
Despite modern liberal narratives about love and inclusion, the Jewish marriage system remains one of the most exclusivist frameworks in the developed world. Judaism allows no official religious path for intermarriage without full conversion, and Israel reinforces this at the state level. The combination of high barriers to conversion, matrilineal descent, and refusal to recognize civil or interracial marriages acts as a de facto ethnic gatekeeping system.
This system contradicts the multicultural values often promoted by Jewish organizations in the diaspora, where intermarriage is increasingly common. The sharp contrast between diaspora openness and Israeli restriction is one of the most revealing features of modern Jewish identity politics.
