High court in Israel orders gay couple to be registered as fathers

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israel’s Supreme Court ordered the Interior Ministry to recognize two men as the fathers of a child born through surrogacy.

By a 5-2 vote earlier this week, the court said the ministry must register the child’s biological partner and his partner as the fathers.

The couple already had a birth certificate and a U.S. court ruling recognizing them as the child’s parents, according to The Jerusalem Post.

The biological father underwent genetic testing to prove his relationship to the child. His father will be recognized as a trustee of the child until the adoption process is completed.

In the past, the partner of the biological parent had no rights to the child until the completion of the lengthy adoption process.