'Stop using Palestinian gays to whitewash Israel's image'

[grassfed]

At the recent 'Gay Olympics' - the World Outgames in Copenhagen, Denmark - Tel Aviv was crowned one of the exclusive gay capitals of the world and proudly celebrated by the Israeli ambassador in Denmark.

Five days later, a still unidentified gunman killed two people and wounded a dozen more in a gay drop-in center in that very same Tel Aviv.

The attack was followed by a myriad of articles on the homophobia haunting Israel and a Haaretz poll showing that nearly half of the Israeli population believes homosexuality is a perversion.

For Palestinian gay rights activist, Haneen Maikey, the latter events are an expression of the known reality in Israel.

"It´s really pathetic that the Israeli state has nothing besides gay rights to promote their liberal image," says Maikey. "Ridiculous, and in a sense hilarious, because there are no gay rights in Israel. There are specific court cases that, when won, allowed certain individuals for instance to adopt a child. What is worth noting is that these decisions are case-specific, in the sense that they are made for this specific case, for this specific child and for these two mothers. You cannot build a human rights campaign on court cases that are not ratified."

Maikey, a Palestinian citizen of Israel, is a 31-year-old feminist with a Master's degree in community organizations management and co-founder and director of Al-Qaws ("the rainbow" in Arabic) for Sexual and Gender Diversity in Palestinian Society.

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[Taverner]

1. Oh there's enough stupid religious hatred in Israel/Palestine for EVERYONE

Don't worry

[bluestateguy]

2. If I am not mistaken doesn't Israel have a basically single payer system of national health care?

Correct me if I am wrong.

[shaayecanaan]

6. Wrong...

Israel requires all of its citizens to purchase health insurance through HMOs. It is most similar to the Swiss health care system, although it bears similarities to Obama's health care plan.

There are not many countries with single payer, Britain's National Health Service is the best example of a relatively "pure" single payer system.

[UndertheOcean]

3. As bad as Israel is , Palestine is still in the jurassic age regarding this issue.

[UndertheOcean]

4. and Mrs. Maikey , try holding a lecture about LGBT issues in Ramallah , the most liberal town in the

West Bank ,that would be an eye opener , if you survive it.

You can trash Israel about a lot of things , that's not one of them , don't go there.

[grassfed]

5. Israeli MP blames gays for earthquakes, ABC News

Israeli MP blames gays for earthquakes, ABC News (Australia), 02/21/08

A Jewish MP yesterday blamed homosexuals for a recent earthquake that struck Israel and the region.

Shas MP Shlomo Benizri, speaking at a parliamentary committee on the country’s preparedness for quakes, lashed out at homosexuality, considered an abomination under Jewish law and in its religious text, the Gemara.

“We are looking for earthly solutions, how to prevent them,” Mr Benizri said. “I have another way to prevent earthquakes. The Gemara says that one of the reasons earthquakes happen, which the Knesset (parliament) legitimises, is homosexuality.”

“God says you shake your genitals where you are not supposed to and I will shake my world in order to wake you up."

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Earthquakes are Gays Fault TELEGRAPH