On November 29, 2006, Israeli lawmakers made a strategic human rights move, recognizing the marriages same-sex couples that had their union performed abroad. The move thwarts the ultra-conservative religious communities in Israel that oppose gay marriage. (read more background)

Just months after the ruling, Israel documented its first legally recognized same-sex couple, Avi and Binyamin Rose. The couple was married in Canada. They told the Jerusalem Post,

"It was wonderful to get married at the city hall in Toronto, but it was far more important for the State of Israel to recognize us as a couple."

The Rose's can now benefit from the legal recognition in Israel, which includes adoption rights, but unfortunately not the tax breaks afforded to heterosexual couples.

Background: Behind Israel’s Gay Marriage Plan
Immigration: Gay Immigration Rights
More News: Behind the Gay Violence in Jerusalem | Massachusetts Says 'No' to Out-of-State Gays

_{Image: Flag of The State of Israel.}