The international organization World Pride is planning to hold a week-long homosexual celebration in Israel next month, featuring a parade in downtown Jerusalem, a beach party, tours of Israel, and a "Youth Day" outside the Knesset.
Much opposition has been voiced against the parade, and the final decision as to whether to allow it will apparently be made - at least formally - by Jerusalem Police Chief Ilan Franco.
Public Opinion
Tens of thousands of signatures have been gathered against the parade by Jerusalem City Councilwoman Mina Fenton, yet some feel that not enough has been done to galvanize public opinion against it. Rabbi Yehuda Levin of New York, who has spent the last several weeks in Israel for the sole purpose of stopping the parade, says that politicians, rabbis and the media will have to account for their silence on the issue.
"I visited Rabbi Moshe Shternbuch [the head of the Eida Hareidit hareidi-religious rabbinic court] in the hospital this week," Levin told Arutz-7, "and he gave me a letter saying that the reason for the current war and the its accompanying tragedies is because we have not done enough to protest this licentiousness."
"We have not protested enough against this parade of abomination and therefore we have received this warning," Rabbi Sternbuch's letter states. "Who knows where things will get to if we do not act further and more stringently against it."
Some rabbis have warned that there could be violence - a prime consideration in the decision by Police Chief Franco. "Franco, accompanied by Shas Party leader Eli Yishai, went to visit Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef to ask him whether he felt there could be violence," Levin told Arutz-7. "Rabbi Yosef reportedly said, 'we are all Pinchas' [the Biblical figure who was praised for stabbing two people engaged publicly in licentious behavior]. Now I'm sure he didn't mean actual attempted murder, but I do think he meant that if people are pushed, figuratively, by this parade, they will push right back."
Arab MK Sheikh Ibrahim Tzartzour recently said that a homosexual parade in Jerusalem could lead to a violent Muslim response.
Faxes
Franco is expected to make his decision very soon, and some groups have asked that the public flood him with faxes to show where they stand. "Even if he plans to call off the parade," said a representative of Jerusalem-based Women for Family Values, "he should see that he has much support. And certainly he should see that in terms of democracy, the vast majority of Jerusalemites and others, in Israel and abroad, are against having this affront to our values here. New York State just outlawed gay marriage; Israel, of all places, should host a parade of this sort?!"
A recent poll presented by MK Yitzchak Levi (National Union/NRP) shows that 85% of the Jerusalem public, including 63% of those who define themselves as secular, oppose the march.
Franco's office fax number in the Jerusalem Police District is (+9722) 539-1391.
Youth Day
Particularly troubling to many of the opponents of the parade is the planned "Youth Day," to be held in the framework of the World Pride events at the Knesset. Rabbi Levin said that this is the part of the event he finds most despicable, as it is intended to present homosexuality as a viable life option to kids and young adults.
Its promotional literature states,
"Youth on the map! After this day, it will be impossible to ignore us. Everyone will understand and remember for a long, long time that the proud [Hebrew gaieh] youth has what to be proud of... Ages 15-25 - boys, girls, lesbians, homos, trans, bi, those who are hesitating [emphasis added], and friends, come to take part in this exciting youth day, which will be held in the Knesset... We will meet lots of pals from all over Israel and the world, and we'll sit together to work out important subject that are very relevant to our daily lives... And at the end of the day: 'Good Jerusalem Children' -- the greatest youth party in Israel..."
Psychologist Dr. Vadim Rotenberg, a senior lecturer in Tel Aviv University, told the Knesset Interior Committee earlier this month of the dangers of exposing youth to a week of open sexuality. "The sexual development of many youth is very delicate," he said, "and the situation created by this event is liable to cause an influence on their identity without them being able to judge objectively how they are being influenced."
The Jonah organization - dedicated to educating the world-wide Jewish community about the prevention, intervention, and healing of the underlying issues causing same-sex attractions - lists three other organizations that offer similar help: Narth, People Can Change, and International Healing Foundation.
War
Arutz-7 asked City Council member Fenton if she felt that the ongoing war situation would lead to a cancellation of the parade. "I don't accept this formulation," she said emphatically. "I don't want it to be canceled because of the war; that's not the issue. It must be canceled because of what it is. Israel is always in a war for existence - and this parade is also a matter of Israel's existence. Some do not believe this, but most people do, even those who are not religious. Among the tens of thousands of signatures that we have gathered against the parade are people from all walks of life, professionals from all fields, and from all political parties. More signatures keep coming in every day."
Fenton has also written to Police Chief Franco, imploring him to realize that the right of "freedom of expression" must also take into account the sensibilities of the public - "which, in the end, is comprised of many individuals, who also have rights. Judicial rulings by Chief Justice Barak and Justice Procaccia say clearly that freedom of expression must be balanced by considerations of the public welfare."
Rabbi Levin expressed concern that the parade has not yet been canceled, despite the cancellation of many cultural activities around the country because of the war. "A Beitar activity was just canceled in Jerusalem," he said, "so isn't it strange that this parade still hasn't been? It's an outrage that they're still contemplating this parade. It is clear that there are higher-ups who are still pressuring to have it."
Christian Sentiment
"I spoke on some 800 Christian radio stations this week," he said, "via the American Family Association and Concerned Women of America - and the message I gave was that they should tell Israel that if this parade goes on, they might no longer come to Israel or support it politically... After all, even the United States is liable to suffer from this, because the Arab world sees the defilement of the Holy Land, and will unleash its fury at the United States, the country that has shipped its filth to Israel."
Asked if he does not feel that he is harming Israel by advising outside elements how to blackmail Israel, Rabbi Levin said,
"Olmert is the duly-elected leader, but he has no importance in my eyes, because by promoting this parade, he and his family are promoting the spiritual destruction of the Jewish people and the physical destruction by encouraging the Arabs to unleash their fury at us for being so immoral. This behavior is more dangerous to Israel than my 'tough love' approach."
Much opposition has been voiced against the parade, and the final decision as to whether to allow it will apparently be made - at least formally - by Jerusalem Police Chief Ilan Franco.
Public Opinion
Tens of thousands of signatures have been gathered against the parade by Jerusalem City Councilwoman Mina Fenton, yet some feel that not enough has been done to galvanize public opinion against it. Rabbi Yehuda Levin of New York, who has spent the last several weeks in Israel for the sole purpose of stopping the parade, says that politicians, rabbis and the media will have to account for their silence on the issue.
"I visited Rabbi Moshe Shternbuch [the head of the Eida Hareidit hareidi-religious rabbinic court] in the hospital this week," Levin told Arutz-7, "and he gave me a letter saying that the reason for the current war and the its accompanying tragedies is because we have not done enough to protest this licentiousness."
"We have not protested enough against this parade of abomination and therefore we have received this warning," Rabbi Sternbuch's letter states. "Who knows where things will get to if we do not act further and more stringently against it."
Some rabbis have warned that there could be violence - a prime consideration in the decision by Police Chief Franco. "Franco, accompanied by Shas Party leader Eli Yishai, went to visit Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef to ask him whether he felt there could be violence," Levin told Arutz-7. "Rabbi Yosef reportedly said, 'we are all Pinchas' [the Biblical figure who was praised for stabbing two people engaged publicly in licentious behavior]. Now I'm sure he didn't mean actual attempted murder, but I do think he meant that if people are pushed, figuratively, by this parade, they will push right back."
Arab MK Sheikh Ibrahim Tzartzour recently said that a homosexual parade in Jerusalem could lead to a violent Muslim response.
Faxes
Franco is expected to make his decision very soon, and some groups have asked that the public flood him with faxes to show where they stand. "Even if he plans to call off the parade," said a representative of Jerusalem-based Women for Family Values, "he should see that he has much support. And certainly he should see that in terms of democracy, the vast majority of Jerusalemites and others, in Israel and abroad, are against having this affront to our values here. New York State just outlawed gay marriage; Israel, of all places, should host a parade of this sort?!"
A recent poll presented by MK Yitzchak Levi (National Union/NRP) shows that 85% of the Jerusalem public, including 63% of those who define themselves as secular, oppose the march.
Franco's office fax number in the Jerusalem Police District is (+9722) 539-1391.
Youth Day
Particularly troubling to many of the opponents of the parade is the planned "Youth Day," to be held in the framework of the World Pride events at the Knesset. Rabbi Levin said that this is the part of the event he finds most despicable, as it is intended to present homosexuality as a viable life option to kids and young adults.
Its promotional literature states,
"Youth on the map! After this day, it will be impossible to ignore us. Everyone will understand and remember for a long, long time that the proud [Hebrew gaieh] youth has what to be proud of... Ages 15-25 - boys, girls, lesbians, homos, trans, bi, those who are hesitating [emphasis added], and friends, come to take part in this exciting youth day, which will be held in the Knesset... We will meet lots of pals from all over Israel and the world, and we'll sit together to work out important subject that are very relevant to our daily lives... And at the end of the day: 'Good Jerusalem Children' -- the greatest youth party in Israel..."
Psychologist Dr. Vadim Rotenberg, a senior lecturer in Tel Aviv University, told the Knesset Interior Committee earlier this month of the dangers of exposing youth to a week of open sexuality. "The sexual development of many youth is very delicate," he said, "and the situation created by this event is liable to cause an influence on their identity without them being able to judge objectively how they are being influenced."
The Jonah organization - dedicated to educating the world-wide Jewish community about the prevention, intervention, and healing of the underlying issues causing same-sex attractions - lists three other organizations that offer similar help: Narth, People Can Change, and International Healing Foundation.
War
Arutz-7 asked City Council member Fenton if she felt that the ongoing war situation would lead to a cancellation of the parade. "I don't accept this formulation," she said emphatically. "I don't want it to be canceled because of the war; that's not the issue. It must be canceled because of what it is. Israel is always in a war for existence - and this parade is also a matter of Israel's existence. Some do not believe this, but most people do, even those who are not religious. Among the tens of thousands of signatures that we have gathered against the parade are people from all walks of life, professionals from all fields, and from all political parties. More signatures keep coming in every day."
Fenton has also written to Police Chief Franco, imploring him to realize that the right of "freedom of expression" must also take into account the sensibilities of the public - "which, in the end, is comprised of many individuals, who also have rights. Judicial rulings by Chief Justice Barak and Justice Procaccia say clearly that freedom of expression must be balanced by considerations of the public welfare."
Rabbi Levin expressed concern that the parade has not yet been canceled, despite the cancellation of many cultural activities around the country because of the war. "A Beitar activity was just canceled in Jerusalem," he said, "so isn't it strange that this parade still hasn't been? It's an outrage that they're still contemplating this parade. It is clear that there are higher-ups who are still pressuring to have it."
Christian Sentiment
"I spoke on some 800 Christian radio stations this week," he said, "via the American Family Association and Concerned Women of America - and the message I gave was that they should tell Israel that if this parade goes on, they might no longer come to Israel or support it politically... After all, even the United States is liable to suffer from this, because the Arab world sees the defilement of the Holy Land, and will unleash its fury at the United States, the country that has shipped its filth to Israel."
Asked if he does not feel that he is harming Israel by advising outside elements how to blackmail Israel, Rabbi Levin said,
"Olmert is the duly-elected leader, but he has no importance in my eyes, because by promoting this parade, he and his family are promoting the spiritual destruction of the Jewish people and the physical destruction by encouraging the Arabs to unleash their fury at us for being so immoral. This behavior is more dangerous to Israel than my 'tough love' approach."