Israel – The legal marriage age was officially increased from 17 to 18 Monday night.
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A bill to that effect, proposed by coalition chairman Yariv Levin (Likud Beytenu), MK Hanin Zoabi (Balad), MK Zehava Gal-On (Meretz) and MK Dov Henin (Hadash), among others, passed its second and third (final) readings with 55 in favor and 11 opposed.
Haredi MKs spoke out against the bill, which is meant to prevent teenagers from being forced into marriages when they are too young to make decisions that will impact the rest of their lives.
In some cases, such as teen pregnancy, a court can allow an exception for those over age 16.
MK Moshe Gafni (UTJ) said the law discriminates against haredim.
“You’re fanatics! You’re hypocrites,” he said.
“This is hypocrisy on the issue of freedom of individuals. Why are you getting involved in personal lives? Why should someone get involved if a person wants to get married under age 17? This is audacity,” MK Yisrael Eichler (UTJ) said.
MK Nissim Ze’ev (Shas) accused Muslim men of kidnapping Israeli teenage girls, saying a 16 year old can’t be forced to leave an Arab village, even if the law won’t allow her to get married.
Gal-On and MK Ahmed Tibi (UAL-Ta’al) accused Ze’ev of racism.
After the bill was authorized, Zoabi called it “one of the rare good laws passed by the Knesset.”
Levin said the bill “puts Israel in line with the most progressive countries in the world and puts an end to forced marriage of minors.”
“We saved thousands of young women today,” Levin added.
Content is provided courtesy of the Jerusalem Post
You can say it again!
Its much easier to be jewish in new york then in israel…
What a shame!
So consensual *** between minors is not outlawed, we see very clearly whom they want to target here.
From the New York State marriage information web site:
If either applicant is under 14 years of age, a marriage license cannot be issued.
If either applicant is 14 or 15 years of age, … written consent of both parents and a justice of the Supreme Court or a judge of the Family Court… .
If either applicant is 16 or 17 years of age, … written consent of both parents.
If both applicants are 18 years of age or older, no consents are required.
I predict an increase in the number of Israel chareidim traveling to New York for the chasanah. Or the number of “premarital” pregnancies, so to speak.
If they can get get married at that age, they shouldn’t get assistance from mom and dad.
How do you “speek” out against something? Sounds like this was written by a Tuna Beigel.
What a shame. Israel has truly become the enemy of its own people.
I this is a good thing for all jews. Ari Levin was right on. ” saved thousands of young women.”. Those are jewish girls ….not bais yaakov. my words.
With G-ds help this off year will provide more opportunities for the ” older girls”
Notwithstanding the level off maturity of the young folk , charedim and all those with children in the parsha know there is no practical difference between 17 , 18 or 23. Some aren’t really ready to take the plunge but ALL will need our $ help and support .
What’s to be gained by making another ruccus. more bad optics.
Not sure why the Chareidim are against it. Does it not say “at 18 to Chupah”?
A few of my neighbors’ daughters in Brooklyn got married at 15 last year and I assume the parents were ok with it since the weddings were HUGE.
This is a welcome change. Children are forced into marriages they don’t want but their families and/or communities pressure them.
But teenagers can have consensual physical relationships, without marriage…In Canada, 14 year olds can have abortions and access to without their parents knowledge or consent, but 17 year old can’t wed in Israel?
Strange.
Halevai the law should be changed, in Israel and in the US, to make marriage below the age of 25 illegal.
It would work wonders to cure the ills plaguing frum society from the high divorce and aguna rates to the terrible financial struggles experienced by individuals, families, communities and mosdos resulting from pushing our children to have children before they are capable of providing for them.
Kids are generally not ready for marriage until 18 or older…this is a common sense protection for children. Those rabbonim who push 15 and 16 year olds to marry are complicit in child abuse. The law provides a simple path for parents in special situations but the majority of these children and not ready to have children.
There is a typo the headlin eshould read and “Hamas” speaks out against the law
they are 1000% right,not only that,they should make a law that you cannot get married unless you can prove that you are making a living and are able to support a family
Reply to 13
25? You sure? How about 30 or so? You really want more pre-marital relations and children being born to “partners”?
The Torah says Shemona esra l’chupah..lets not be smarter