The state will continue to grant equal property and inheritance rights to members of gay and lesbian couples, even if the Knesset passes laws with the opposite intention, according to an internal memo sent by Attorney General Menachem Mazuz.

The memo was sent to Custodian General Shlomo Shahar. Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann is proposing legislation that would define common-law marriage as applying to heterosexual partners only. That definition contradicts the recommendations of a public commission headed by retired Supreme Court Justice Jacob Turkel, which proposed changing the wording of the inheritance law so that it applies to both gay and straight couples.

Haaretz has learned that after Friedmann's revision was reported last week, the custodian general asked Mazuz to determine whether the justice minister's decision to revert to the original "man and woman" formulation affects current Justice Ministry policy.