Same-sex conjugal visits allowed

The Israel Prison Service has approved conjugal visits for prisoners in same-sex relationships, overturning a long-standing ban.

The announcement follows years of campaigning by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, who first challenged the policy in 2009.

In 2006 a male prisoner’s request for a conjugal visit with his male partner was denied by the Israeli Prison Service, and the decision was upheld by the court. A planned challenge to Israel’s Supreme Court did not eventuate following the end of the prisoner’s sentence.

There is no legal marriage equality in Israel, although same-sex couples have access to most marriage-like rights under a system of common law relationship recognition.