By: Robert Trestan, Anti-Defamation League New England Regional Director and Melissa Garlick, Anti-Defamation League Eastern States Civil Rights Counsel
Pride month in Israel was welcomed with many celebrations, including Tel Aviv’s pride parade on June 13 which featured 150,000 celebrants, beach parties, dance performances, lectures, rainbow flags and banners, and was embraced by the Israeli military as well as government officials. At the same time, claims of Israeli “pinkwashing,” which essentially conflates LGBT rights with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, are obsessively promoted by a small group of anti-Israel activists. An example of this can be found in Keegan O’Brien’s article of June 7, 2014, “There’s No Pride in Apartheid- Stop Pink-Washing Israel’s Crimes,” which uses the banner of advocacy for the legitimate rights of the LGBT community to vilify Israel. [pullquote]An example of this can be found in Keegan O’Brien’s article of June 7, 2014, “There’s No Pride in Apartheid- Stop Pink-Washing Israel’s Crimes,” which uses the banner of advocacy for the legitimate rights of the LGBT community to vilify Israel. [/pullquote]
Israel can be rightfully proud of its record regarding its LGBT community, which is entirely separate from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel is unique in the Middle East for its tolerance, legal protections and equality enjoyed by the LGBT community. Tel Aviv has been recognized as the “best gay city” in the world, standing in sharp contrast to other parts of the Middle East. This reality does not diminish or “pinkwash” the Israeli-Palestinian conflict nor does it negate the homophobic attitudes of some in Israeli religious communities. It is simply a fact of Israel’s vibrant democracy.
“Pinkwashing” allegations demonstrate that opposition to Israel is rarely limited to criticism of Israel as it relates to the conflict. By minimizing Israel’s LGBT values and solely judging it within the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the “anti-pinkwashing” campaign appears instead to be part of a larger, all-out attempt to discredit and slander all the positive aspects of Israeli society. This is evident in Mr. O’Brien’s vocal support of international campaigns calling for academic, cultural and economic boycotts of Israel.
Willfully ignoring the facts in order to justify and promote attacks against Israel trivializes the work of the LGBT-rights movement in Israel, and distracts from the shared goal of advancing and protecting the equal rights of the LGBT community. It also minimizes the realities of negative, violent, and homophobic elements in the region. [pullquote]Tel Aviv has been recognized as the “best gay city” in the world, standing in sharp contrast to other parts of the Middle East. This reality does not diminish or “pinkwash” the Israeli-Palestinian conflict nor does it negate the homophobic attitudes of some in Israeli religious communities. It is simply a fact of Israel’s vibrant democracy. [/pullquote]
Even if one disagrees with some of Israel’s policies, Israel has every right to promote its legitimate accomplishments on LGBT rights. These include anti-discrimination laws in the workplace and the military, and most recently, protection from discrimination in schools against students on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity- the first law in Israel to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity. These also include spousal benefits to same-sex couples and full adoption rights. Openly gay individuals serve in Israel’s military, judiciary, Parliament, and local city councils.
While no one is asserting that Israel’s record on LGBT issues is the final say on its human rights record, Israel deserves and is entitled to claim credit for an LGBT rights record that far surpasses most other countries in the world. It is unfortunate that pinkwashing activists like Mr. O’Brien simply refuse to accept this truth, and instead use Israel’s accomplishments on LGBT issues to vilify the Jewish State.
Thanks to you both for penning this much needed corrective to the piece by Keegan O’Brien, which I found disturbing on so many levels. Israel may not be perfect, but it is a beacon of acceptance, tolerance, inclusion, equality — not matter what the nomenclature — for LGBTs in the Middle East. As I said in another post, I am unaware of an LGBT Pride celebration in Gaza.
I second that
in order to remain objective , both sides of the story must be heard
my personal opinion is that the BDS inspired article is full of false information and hatred
You are unaware of an LGBT Pride celebration in Gaza because the Gaza Strip is absolutely decimated by bombs and missiles from Israel. That snide remark goes to show your absolute lack of human compassion for the Palestinian people. Please tell me how could one could celebrate LGBT Pride when one doesn’t even have access to basic human needs like clean water and shelter?
Recently the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus announced it was embarking on a Middle East tour. The only two countries on that tour unfortunately are Turkey and Israel. They are the only countries in the Middle East where they wouldn’t be attacked and killed. That includes the West Bank administered by the Palestinian Authority and Hamas-ruled Gaza. And when there is an independent Palestinian state that will still be true.
The small group of anti-Israel haters in the LGBT community, led by members of the Marxist-Leninist-Trotskyist, International Socialist Organization, of which Keegan O’Brien is a member, pinkwash this fact by whitewashing their anti-Semistism in the guise of Palestinian rights.
I am opposed to the settlements in the West Bank. In my opinion, they are an impediment to peace. But they are not the reason why there is conflict.
The British colony of Palestine was partitioned in 1948 by the United Nations into a Jewish state and an Arab state. This was part of the decolonization that followed WWII, such as the 1947 partition of the Indian subcontinent into Pakistan and India. In both cases no one side got what they wanted,there was violence and population transfers, both forced and voluntary. That included 800,000 to a million Arab Jewish refugees driven from Arab countries and absorbed by Israel.
The new State of Israel accepted the United Nations partition. All the Arab countries did not and invaded Israel thinking the new outnumbered Jewish state would be defeated and destroyed. But Israel prevailed as it would in subsequent wars to destroy it.
But what happened to the Arab Palestine that the United Nations created? Egypt annexed the Gaza Strip and Jordan the West Bank. So from 1948 to 1967 there could have been an independent Palestine. But not a peep from anyone for such a state. It was only after 1967 when Israel won them from Egypt and Jordan.
But the Arab countries were determined to wipe out the Jews and destroy Israel again. Don’t forget the Jewish people have been indigenous to the area for thousands of years. The land of Israel had been destroyed several times in history leading to the exile of much of the Jewish people throughout the world, until Israel was recreated in 1948.
Mr O’Brien would drive the Jews into the sea rhetorically by denying their historical ties to the land. He leaves it to others to do the dirty work.
The right to a State of Israel has been the basis for this conflict since 1947, not a State of Palestine.
The fact is we have never been closer to a solution. Today Egypt and Jordan have peace treaties with Israel. Both the Israeli government and Palestinian Authority accept a two state solution– the very premise that Israel’s Arab neighbors rejected in 1947.
But the past is the past, both sides have made mistakes but we need to deal with the here and now. Several times under American auspices the two sides have come so close. most recently under Secretary of State John Kerry. Through disclosures we know the outlines of a future settlement: The 1967 border will be the starting point, but those Israeli settlements adjacent to that border will be annexed by Israel, and in return Israel will cede a similar amount of its territory to the new Palestinian state.
Guess where much opposition comes from ceding current Israeli territory to Palestine? From the Palestinian Israeli citizens who live in those towns and cities. Why? Because they would lose the democratic rights they have as Israeli citizens and likely experience a decline in their standard of living in any transfer.
The conflict is not intractable as Mr O’Brien would have us believe. Fighting the pinkwashing of anti-Semitism and anti-Israel hatred by him and the International Socialist Organization is part of forging a just peace.
Because in order for Jews to thrive, Palestinians must be ethnically cleansed from the land? Do you realize that Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia and/or hatred of Arab ethnicity are both equally wrong?
Can you not draw any parallels between this kind of Apartheid and what happened in South Africa? The United States? Any colonial power ever? How could genocide ring so hollow for a nation?
Anti-Zionism≠Anti-Semitism. That’s a false premise and a weak one at best.
Ps. As a Queer POC I would be just as discriminated for my sexual orientation in Tel Aviv as I would in Dubai or Mecca, probably more so because I have a non-European appearance. LGBT rights in Israel only apply if you’re Ashkenazi. That’s pinkwashing.
Anti-Semites such as Marco Gomez love to toss around words like “ethnic cleansing” and “apartheid” when describing Israeli Jewish-Palestinian history. In order to do so, they throw around accusations that are totally off the wall. At least get your facts right.
The majority of Israelis are not descended from Ashkenazi (European) Jews, but rather from Jewish refugees from Arab, Muslim and African countries. Most of the right wing parties in Israel have their greatest support in this subset of Israelis.
If Israel is an apartheid state, someone should tell South Africa that has diplomatic and trade relations with Israel.
Someone should also tell that to the Palestinian Israelis on the Supreme Court, in the cabinet, Knesset (including members of the conservative Likud) and officers and rank and file in the Israeli army.
If Israel is guilty of ethnic cleansing it should get an “F” for failure– 20% of Israel is Israeli Palestinian.
I laugh at you in contempt when you say, “As a Queer Person of Color I would be just as discriminated for my sexual orientation in Tel Aviv as I would in Dubai or Mecca, probably more so because I have a non-European appearance.”
I dare you to try. Unless you’re a Muslim, Saudi Arabia won’t allow you in. (Homosexuality by the way is a capital offense there.) Try Dubai. Then try Tel Aviv or elsewhere in Israel. After you’ve conducted your experiment, write another letter to the editor.
While O’Brien’s piece may not have said it so succinctly, as a gay converting Jew, my biggest concern is that LGBT rights do not apply equally to all LGBT persons within the borders of the State of Israel. To say that the two issues are “completely separate” is to misspeak a bit. Just as race & poverty, race & LGBT rights, poverty & LGBT rights are intertwined in US culture, so, too, are these issues of Palestine & LGBT rights intertwined in Israel.
Many LGBT individuals can move freely & without fear throughout the country, it is true. Some LGBT people cannot move freely, however, fear or no fear, and here lies the point of contention, I feel. LGBT Palestinians who are not Arab citizens of Israel are restricted in their movement. Even LGBT persons who *are* Arab citizens of Israel do not have equal inclusion in the Law of Return or Citizenship & Entry into Israel Law. There are spousal benefits, yes, but not equal benefits for *all* citizens of Israel, LGBT or no.
However much a person may agree with the reasons behind the existence of this differing treatment, it cannot be denied that yes, there is indeed a difference in Israel’s treatment of Jewish & Arab LGBT citizens.
Having been raised in a small, extremely conservative Christian community, I am overjoyed that such a religious state as Israel would be so welcoming of LGBT persons. I have seen God used to support homophobia/transphobia/etc. far too often. I am glad that the majority of Judaism does not do this.
I personally am one to celebrate the victories, absolutely. I also believe, however, that it is of utmost importance that we speak out when we perceive injustice, even if our perceptions may be incorrect. Fighting injustice doesn’t require certainty. It requires a steadfast heart, faith, and a desire to see equality in the world. How much worse would Shoah have been if gentiles had only acted once they were certain? How much worse *was* it, in fact, because of the US only becoming involved once it felt certain?
Though we may not agree with their stance, I think we should continue to support those who choose to speak out against injustice. If we disagree, let us disagree on the basis of logic and facts. When we disagree by attacking the person or organizations (s)he may be associated with, I think we are doing a disservice to the idea of tikkun olam, by effectively shaming into silence those who are passionately trying to heal the world.
Thank you Zachary for your thoughtful opinion piece. Let me wholeheartedly endorse your admonition, “If we disagree, let us disagree on the basis of logic and facts.” We are all entitled to our own opinions, but not our own facts.
We must not be misguided by those who cite injustices to justify injustice. The Nazis cited what they said were injustices visited upon Germany after WWI to justify their invasions and occupations of their neighbors. Therefore simply because one speaks and acts against “injustice,” does not mean we have to buy it hoof line and sinker. As you said, we must employ “logic and facts.”
Israel is a state like any other state. It has its imperfections, inequalities, all the vagaries of the human condition. But when people concentrate on Israel as if those problems don’t exist anywhere else, I ask myself, “Why this obsessive-compulsive fixation on Israel?” The answer is anti-Semitism, Jew-hatred.
You write, “my biggest concern is that LGBT rights do not apply equally to all LGBT persons within the borders of the State of Israel. To say that the two issues are ‘completely separate’ is to misspeak a bit. Just as race & poverty, race & LGBT rights, poverty & LGBT rights are intertwined in US culture, so, too, are these issues of Palestine & LGBT rights intertwined in Israel.”
You misspeak.
Israel and Palestine are two different countries. “Poverty, race & LGBT rights are intertwined in US culture,” you say. Okay, but I hope you would agree Mexico and Canada are not. Different political entities, cultures and sets of laws.
But you make that mistake, essentially saying the State of Israel and the West Bank are one and the same. Many Israeli right wing nationalists want to make them part of the same country, but they’re not. I hope you agree with me.
If you do, then you know that the LGBT rights found in Israel do not apply to the occupied West Bank and Gaza whose citizens are not Israeli. They are bound by the civil law of the Palestinian Authority. There is no open LGBT community in Palestine, but there is in Israel. That’s not because Israel discriminates against the non-Israeli Palestinian LGBTs who live in Palestine, it’s because Palestine does! Your beef is not with Israel but with Fatah and Hamas!
The only free and open LGBT Palestinians are to be found in the State of Israel. That’s because they’re citizens of a free and democratic, albeit imperfect state.
There is no freedom for LGBT Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza because those territories are not part of Israel or its laws protecting LGBT rights.