Gay Israeli couples who want to adopt came one step closer to doing so in Israel this week after a surrogacy bill passed its first reading in the Knesset.

The would-be law, which passed with a majority of 45 votes to 15, would mean the country’s same-sex couples no longer have to go abroad to adopt, and would instead be able to have children via surrogates in Israel.

“This bill is about the principle of equality, regardless of one’s sexual orientation or the composition of the family unit,” said Health Minister Yael German, who first submitted the bill in January.

“Everyone has the right to become a parent.”

It was brought in part as a response to the growing number of Israelis travelling abroad each year to use foreign surrogates, raising legal and ethical questions which Israeli lawmakers acknowledged they were “required to address”.

However, it has met with some opposition.

Source: Jewish News