IsraelNews 12 Sep 2012
Reception hall near Jerusalem owned by messianic Jews cited religious reasons for refusal to hold couple’s wedding party. The Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court ordered the owners of an Israeli reception hall to pay damages to a lesbian couple after refusing to host their wedding for ideological reasons. The Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court ordered the owners of an Israeli reception hall to pay damages to a lesbian couple after refusing to host their wedding for ideological reasons. Following the precedent-setting ruling, the Moshav Yad Hashmona events hall must pay the couple, Tal Ya’akovovich and Yael Biran, NIS 60,000 in damages. The court has also ordered the owners of the reception hall to pay NIS 20,000 in legal and court fees, which is on the relatively high side. The fine will teach the public a lesson about the value of equality and tolerance, in addition to compensating the same-sex couple, the judge explained. The plaintiffs were married in England in 2008 in a civil ceremony, and wanted to host a wedding party for their families and friends in Israel. The couple contracted to hold the event at the reception hall in Yad Hashmona. But when the reception hall owners realized that the wedding party was for a lesbian couple, they informed Ya’akovoich and Biran that the hall does not hold events for same-sex couples, and canceled their reservation.http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/israeli-lesbian-couple-awarded-nis-60-000-after-being-turned-away-from-wedding-hall-1.464503
Israeli lesbian couple awarded NIS 60,000 after being turned away from wedding hall
