Israel on Tuesday said it will now allow Jews to immigrate to Tel Aviv with their non-Jewish same-sex spouses.

Israeli Interior Minister Gideon Saar told immigration authorities not to differentiate between married gay and straight couples.

Israeli law grants citizenship to Jews and close non-Jewish relatives who move to Israel. In a few cases in recent years, Israel only naturalised non-Jewish same-sex spouses of Jews following threats of Supreme Court petitions, said Israeli immigration attorney Nicole Maor.

Israel does not permit gays to marry in the country, but recognizes same-sex marriages if they were performed legally abroad.