Jonathan Danilowitz (born January 13, 1945 ) worked as a Senior In Flight Service Manager for El Al Israel Airlines, based in Tel Aviv.
When the airline refused to recognize his same-sex partner as his common-law spouse (as is commonly done in Israel with opposite-sex partners) he sued the airline (in 1989). One of the 1990s' most publicized civil-rights cases,[1] his action went through three court sessions including the Israeli Supreme Court (1995) which concurred that the discrimination was illegal and obliged the airline to grant partner benefits.[2][3] The Supreme Court ruling is considered to be one of its most important decisions, and is featured in the Museum of the Court in Jerusalem.