Source: Haaretz, Scopical
The State of Israel has agreed for the first time to register an overseas adoption by a gay couple and to grant the child Israeli citizenship, Haaretz reports.

The landmark case involves a Cambodia-born boy, now eight years old, who was adopted in 2000 in the United States by two men who hold American and Israeli citizenship. Following his adoption, the boy received American citizenship and was also converted to Judaism. The parents returned to Israel shortly after the adoption, but their applications to the Interior Ministry to recognize the adoption and grant their child citizenship were unsuccessful. Since 2001, the child has lived in Israel on a temporary residence visa that is extended annually.

In 2001 the parents returned to Israel. The Interior Ministry refused to recognize the overseas adoption or to grant their child Israeli citizenship so that he has lived in the country on an annually extended temporary resident visa, local media reported.
Several months ago, the male couple appealed to the State Attorney Meni Mazuz to end the state's "cruel treatment" of their son.

Persistent appeals to meet with every interior, justice and social affairs minister in office were turned down, one parent who wished to remain anonymous told Haaretz.

Finally, two weeks, the senior deputy state prosecutor, Einat Golomb, wrote to an advocate for the parents that the male couple's case had been discussed again and it was decided to register the adoption in the Interior Ministry's population registry and grant Israeli citizenship to the child "in view of the special circumstances of the case in question and the long time the minor has resided in Israel legally."

The parents' advocate, attorney Irit Rosenblum, told Haaretz that the decision is significant in that it constitutes recognition of overseas adoption by same-sex couples, and effectively recognition of same-sex families.

"The meaning of the decision is clear: The state directly and fully recognizes same-sex couples as parents, akin to heterosexual couples, who can adopt a child overseas and register without constraints as his parents," Rosenblum said.

One of the parents told the paper that lack of legal status for their son had caused problems for the family.

"We had a problem entering and leaving the country, registering for school, at the dental clinic," he said. "They always ask what our relation is to the boy because he is not listed on our identity cards. Everywhere I had to say that we have a High Court petition and we are waiting for a ruling. Everywhere I had to fight and provide explanations and try to persuade."

Mike Hamel, chairman of the Israeli Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Association lauded the state's decision as a major change of policy.

"Men have a right a right to raise a family without the parents' sexual orientation being a factor," he said. "Recent months (referring to the spate of severe cases of parental child abuse) have witnessed that heterosexual parenting is no guarantee for successful parenting."

Full article: Israel recognizes overseas adoption by gay couple, grants child citizenship | Haaretz
Israel recognises same-sex child adoptions | Scopical