Jerusalem – Tens of thousands of Israeli LGBT advocates and their supporters went on strike across the country Sunday, protesting the exclusion of gay men from a recently passed surrogacy law.
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The community is outraged that after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to pass legislation supporting surrogacy for gay fathers, he then voted against it, apparently under pressure from his ultra-Orthodox Jewish coalition partners.
Protesters marched in Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities on Sunday, waving rainbow flags and briefly blocking a major highway.
Tel Aviv’s central Rabin Square was packed with tens of thousands of people for the main demonstration Sunday night. “Although Israel has a very liberal image concerning gays it’s not the case when you look at the Israeli law,” said former Israeli lawmaker Nitzan Horowitz at the protest, who called for law amendments to ensure equal treatment for the LGBT community.
Hundreds protested near Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem.
Eyal Lurie Pardes, a protester draped in a rainbow flag, chanted: “We will not remain silent!”
“Look me in the eyes and tell me I don’t deserve to be a father!” he said.
Footage aired on Israeli TV later showed police pushing him into a police car. Israeli police said two people were detained and then released.
The protest has grown into a general call for equality, following other recent controversial legislation that appeared to target Israeli liberalism.
The protest has generated widespread support and hundreds of employers said they would allow employees to observe the strike without penalty.
Israel has emerged as one of the world’s most gay-friendly travel destinations in recent years, in sharp contrast to the rest of the Middle East where gays are persecuted and even killed.
In Israel, homosexuals serve openly in Israel’s military and parliament, and many popular artists and entertainers are homosexual.
However, leaders of the gay community say Israel still has far to go in promoting equality.
They can still have children the traditional way.
And also this need to be added to the calamities that befell am Israel. That the toeba community raised against HaShem demanding equality because they refuse to make babies in a normal way on no other day than the 9 of av.
And still don’t catch a clue.
Bereishis Rabba 26:5
אמר רבי בשם רבי הונא:
דור המבול לא נימוחו מן העולם עד שכתבו גמומסיות לזכר ולבהמה
Rabbi Huna in the name of Rebbi said, “the generation of the flood was not eradicated from the world until they wrote marriage contracts for homosexuality and bestiality.”
I no somewon whoo is with anuder man…they ar not happe
So da whole ideya is crazee
crazy ideas for crazy people
One of the glorious days of the medinah הטמאה. How despicably sad that the State that people can even dream that is a Jewish State can demand rights as such.
How much more do we Yiddn need to see that this Zionist Medinah is the antithesis of Torah values. They have gone so far that theres no turning back other than w Mashiachs arrival. Until then they are just as low as the lowest of gentiles and a lot worst cuz theyre still Jews.
Well, the Knesset has decided. Israel now offers special rights for one religious group above all others. Equal rights for all is dead.
And these are the people expecting peace in their land? They are getting what they deserve….what an outright shame and blasphemous crowd of lowlifes.
Yes, I am truly in Saudi. Lots of people are. I do not understand why you are gobsmacked by that.