Former ISA official Tamir Mandowsky addressed the uproar that erupted following reports about ISA head David Zini’s decision to cancel LGBTQ events in the organization.
"I served on a regular basis and in reserve duty at the various facilities in the ISA between 2012 and 2022, altogether ten years, and during that period I don’t remember any mention and no Pride event. I also don’t remember any particular need. I had many friends, community members, in service. They didn’t hold any events, and I also don’t remember there being any request or that they felt a need for it," Mendovsky said in an interview with 103fm.
He added, "It seems to me that it’s important to stick to the facts. This isn’t some new policy. It may be that between 2022, during Ronen Bar’s tenure until 2026, there was some change in direction and they allowed various events and cells, but in my period at least there wasn’t even a mention, and I also don’t remember that there was any request. There simply wasn’t any interest."
At the beginning of the week, it was reported that Zini decided not to approve an LGBTQ event on behalf of the service, cancel invitations that had been sent out, and remove banners or symbols that had already been prepared.
The LGBTQ event, according to those involved in organizing it, was cancelled "by an order from above," without any other explanation. They claimed that all the requests they submitted were rejected, including a request to display an LGBTQ banner on the screen in the ISA building, a request to install a screensaver on computers, a request to hang LGBTQ flags in the event hall, and a request to use the organization’s systems to distribute dedicated content.
According to the report, Zini is also working to close the Pride unit in the ISA, and the organization’s Human Resources Division received instructions to transfer all the dedicated budget for LGBTQ matters to the general budget.