(Mark Neiman / GPO)

(Mark Neiman / GPO)

This is huge news:

President Shimon Peres expressed unequivocal support for same-sex marriage during a state visit to Mexico.

In an interview with Ynet on Sunday while in Mexico’s Guadalajara, Peres said that “even a person who is a homosexual is a human being, and he has rights. We have no power to take away (their) rights.”

Peres added: “We cannot take away someone’s rights because they are different. We cannot take away their right to breathe, right to eat or right to start a family. We must allow everyone to live as is natural to them.”

These comments come at a time when the Knesset is considering a bill to establish civil partnership contracts for gay couples. While the Israeli people have been a bit further ahead of Americans in their support of the LGBT population, Israeli marriage law remains a stumbling block, as it is regulated by religious courts, which ends up disenfranchising not only gays and lesbians, but also those of other faiths or no faith living in Israel.

[h/t Joe]