Blessed news from the Holy land this morning: Israel has recognized its first gay marriage. Binyamin and Avi Rose got married in Canada last June and made the great return to their homeland to start their lives together. As you may recall, there was a bit of a stink – okay, a big stink – over whether or not the government would recognize their and other gay marriages as valid. Then, in November, the High Court ruled unanimously that couples married outside of Israel should, in fact, be recognized by the state.

Now, back in the Holy City, the Roses intend to continue supporting the state, fulfilling their social duties:

We wanted the government of Israel to recognize that we are a couple. It was no more of a statement than [coming from] a 'regular' couple, but we are both committed Zionists and are hopeful that our union will bring more progress on this issue…We are very committed to building our lives in Jerusalem and the Interior Ministry provided us with a very positive experience today.

Well done, gents. You're certainly paving the way for other gays. Perhaps New Family director Irit Rosenblum says it best: "This is more than a legal victory, it is a humanitarian victory and a message for society to be more tolerant."