Bennett's BeYachad Party Unveils Platform Promising Civil Unions and LGBTQ+ Rights
Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's BeYachad party has unveiled a liberal platform promising civil union registration, equality in a Basic Law, and a ban on conversion therapy, marking a significant shift from his previous opposition to same-sex marriage recognition.
In 2015, when then-Bayit Yehudi Chairman Naftali Bennett was asked about same-sex marriage, he stated that Judaism does not recognize LGBTQ+ individuals and compared it to the impossibility of legally declaring meat and dairy kosher. At the time, he summarized his stance as: "Recognition - no, rights - yes." Now, the BeYachad party under his leadership is offering a far more liberal vision: a party commitment to registering partnerships at the Ministry of the Interior and full equal rights. More than a decade after opposing recognition for same-sex marriage, Bennett is presenting a platform aimed at granting the LGBTQ+ community full civil equal rights.
The work program of the BeYachad party includes civil union registration, which will grant the full rights and privileges of married couples, enshrining the right to equality in a Basic Law, a comprehensive legislative ban on conversion therapy, and a permanent budget for community services. Many of these steps are not entirely new. Proposals for civil partnerships, embedding equality in a Basic Law, banning conversion therapy, and expanding anti-discrimination protections have been introduced in the Knesset over the years, though many failed to mature into legislation. Measures in parenting, surrogacy, education, welfare, and health have already been partially advanced through court rulings, government decisions, and procedural changes.
The Evolution of Bennett's Stance
The novelty of the platform lies not necessarily in the measures themselves, but also in the identity of the person committing to them. Some of these moves were even advanced during the period when Bennett himself served as prime minister. During the "Government of Change," a surrogacy track for male couples and single men was effectively opened following a High Court ruling, and budgets for community services were significantly increased. The Ministry of Health at the time issued a circular imposing restrictions on conversion therapy by licensed professionals. However, civil unions were not regularized, the right to equality was not anchored in a Basic Law, and no sweeping ban on conversion therapy was enacted.
Now, principled support is turning into a formal party commitment: BeYachad is proposing a civil track for registering partnerships at the Ministry of the Interior, regardless of religion, gender, or sexual orientation, which will grant the full rights and obligations of married couples. However, the program avoids using the term "civil marriage." At the "Sagi Laws" conference last July, Bennett stated that he supports allowing anyone who wants to start a family to do so in Israel "without having to travel to Cyprus, marry in Utah, or go to court." It appears the question of whether Bennett also supports marriage for LGBTQ+ couples remains open.
Legislative Plans and Political Realities
The party's program also includes a commitment to advance the "Sagi Laws," an equality legislative package formulated as part of the struggle led by Yonatan Shamriz, who lost his partner, Maj. Sagi Golan, on October 7. The package deals, among other things, with civil marriage, parental registration, a ban on conversion therapy, housing discrimination, and hate crimes. At that same conference in July, Bennett said: "You are not asking for gifts here, you simply want the rights that every Israeli deserves," adding: "The time has come to pass these laws."
One of the most significant clauses in the platform is "Basic Law: Equality," which is meant to enshrine the right to equality before the law and explicitly state that rights must not be infringed upon due to sexual orientation or gender identity. Alongside this, BeYachad proposes amending the Interpretation Law so that legislative prohibitions against discrimination also apply to LGBTQ+ individuals. Similar proposals have previously been introduced in the Knesset, among others by Yorai Lahav-Hertzanu, but did not become law. The proposed ban on conversion therapy also aims to go beyond what was done during Bennett's tenure, seeking absolute statutory prohibition.
Political Landscape Ahead of Elections
In addition to the platform, Bennett included two openly gay members of Knesset on his electoral list who have worked to advance community rights: Eitan Ginzburg in the eighth spot and Yorai Lahav-Hertzanu in the 18th. Ginzburg was Israel's first openly gay mayor, and Lahav-Hertzanu serves as the chair of the Knesset LGBTQ+ Lobby. BeYachad is not alone in placing community rights on the agenda ahead of the elections. The Democrats are committed to full equal rights in law, civil marriage for all couples, equal parental registration, and a ban on conversion therapy, with Yair Golan also committing to establish a national authority for LGBTQ+ rights. Gadi Eisenkot pledged at the Sagi Laws conference to promote equality legislation, while Yisrael Beytenu's platform includes civil marriage and divorce, though it does not explicitly mention same-sex couples.
The central test of the program will be political. At this stage, it remains unclear which of these commitments will survive coalition negotiations. Bennett stated: "In the next government, we will work for full equal rights in order to protect the LGBTQ+ community from violence and incitement. Together we will bring about a historic correction and erase illegitimate discrimination in the country." MK Ginzburg added: "We are not second-class citizens; a country that asks everything of us must grant us equal rights."
