Jonathan Danilowitz

Jonathan Danilowitz 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). The case went through three court sessions including the Israeli Supreme Court (1995) which concurred that the discrimination was illegal and obliged the airline to accept the fact that gay men have rights too. The Supreme Court decision is considered to be one of its most important decisions, and is featured in the Museum of the Court in Jerusalem.

A few years later he sued again to force the airline to forbid on-board smoking. His success brought about the cessation of all smoking on flights of all airlines into and out of Israel.

When he took early retirement a few years later, he was awarded the "Employee of the Year" award (for the second time).