The Jerusalem Pride and Tolerance Parade faced opposition from the far right in Israel, including an ultraconservative member of the government who wanted to abolish the event and a minister with a history of homophobia who was tasked with securing it. Despite concerns of heightened anti-gay violence, the event was attended by around 30,000 people, three times the usual number, and passed peacefully under heavy security. However, a small counter-demonstration was held by Lehava, an extremist organisation known for promoting segregation and inciting hatred and violence against minorities in Israel, including Palestinian Christians. The parade was attended by members of Israel’s tech sector, women’s organisations and army reservists, along with the LGBTQ community, who all oppose the current government’s plans for a judicial overhaul that they say would damage Israel’s democracy and leave minorities, such as the LGBTQ community, more vulnerable.
While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly stated his support for the LGBTQ community, his right-wing government has been criticised for empowering anti-gay far-right factions. The government, so far, has not enacted any laws that would discriminate against the LGBTQ community, but many remain uneasy about the recent allocation of $80m in government funding to a new authority that promotes Jewish national identity, which is led by Avi Maoz, a deputy minister to the prime minister who is considered homophobic, racist and misogynist by critics. Some accuse Netanyahu of “pink washing” by appointing Amir Ohana as the first openly gay speaker of Israel’s Parliament, while at the same time, empowering the anti-gay far-right. Ohana, for his part, criticises the liberal camp for hypocrisy and points out that the previous anti-Netanyahu government included a small Islamist party, Raam, which is virulently opposed to gay rights. The issue of LGBTQ rights remains contentious and highlights the layers of complexity in Israeli society.
