Chairman of the Jewish Home Party and Be'er Sheva city council member Rabbi Gadi Mazuz explained in an interview with Arutz Sheva why the so-called Pride Parade will take place for the first time in the city.
"Last year we opposed and offered a compromise whereby the marchers would take a secondary thoroughfare, because they sought to pass synagogues and homes towards the central bus station, which would offend the religious public. Last year they did not agree to compromise and the High Court of Justice was with us. This year they agreed to the compromise plan of last year, so we had no choice. Had we opposed, it wouldn't have passed the Supreme Court."
He says the parade is not suitable for Be'er Sheva, but there's no way to prevent it. "Be'er Sheva is a traditional and religious city. We spoke with the mayor and I do not like this compromise, but we understand that this would not have passed the High Court."
Rabbi Mazuz tells about the conditions they set for the infra-Secular community. "In Be'er Sheva they have a small community, so we asked them not to come with a lot of buses from other parts of the country and wear modest clothing that would not harm the sanctity of the city. We also demanded that the march not be funded by the municipality, only the rally at the end be funded.
"I believe in dialogue and hope that they will respect these conditions, and most importantly, I hope that the march will pass peacefully. We must not go head to head. We saw the bloodshed in Jerusalem," he added.