'We’re Fightg Two Fights Here': Beg Gay and Paltian Israel

Contents:

• EXPLORG GAY PALTE
• GAY PALTIAN AHMAD ABU MARHIA BEHEAD WT BANK
• GAY PALTIANS
• 'WE’RE FIGHTG TWO FIGHTS HERE': BEG GAY AND PALTIAN ISRAEL
• GAY PALTIANS ARE BEG BLACKMAILED INTO WORKG AS INFORMANTS
• A YOUNG GAY PALTIAN SNEAKS INTO ISRAEL. HE NEEDS HELP. IT COM WH A HEAVY PRICE
• SHOCK, QUTNS AFTER GOME KILLG OF GAY PALTIAN
• GAY PALTIANS IN ISRAEL: THE ‘INVISIBLE MEN’HIDG OUTON THE N OM THEIR PALTIAN FAI, LIVG ILLEGALLY ISRAEL—TREATED BY BOTH SIS AS THE ENEMY—GAYS OM THE PALTIAN TERRORI N’T GO HOME AGA.ITAY HODUPDATED APR. 14, 2017 3:07PM EDT / PUBLISHED AUG. 13, 2014 5:45AM EDT SHAHAR REZNIKTEL AVIV, ISRAEL — ON A WEEKDAY MORNG AUGT, ABDUL RAWASHDA, A 27-YEAR-OLD PALTIAN OM HEBRON, SHOWS ME HIS WT OSLO BACHELOR PAD VIA SKYPE. IT’S A SHORT TOUR. RAWASHDA IS HOLDG HIS LAPTOP AS HE POTS OUT EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY OF HIS STUD APARTMENT. “COZY” IS WHAT YOU’D LL IF YOU WERE PUTTG UP A “FOR RENT” AD THE PAPER. “IT’S VERY SMALL,” HE SAID, AS THOUGH HE ULD READ MY THOUGHTS, “BUT I LIKE .”IT’S A DREARY DAY NORWAY SPE BEG THE MIDDLE OF SUMMER. “IT HASN’T STOPPED RAG,” HE SAID, VERG HIMSELF WH A THICK BLANKET. “I’LL NEVER GET ED TO THIS WEATHER.” FROM HIS BALNY OVERLOOKG THE AMERIN EMBASSY HANGS A PALTIAN FLAG. “I WANT THEM TO SEE EVERY MORNG WHEN THEY E ,” HE LGHS.IT’S A FAR CRY OM HIS HOMETOWN THE WT BANK, THE PLACE HE WAS FORCED TO FLEE. “I’M HAPPY,” HE SAID. “I LOVE NORWAY. I HAVE NORWEGIAN CIZENSHIP NOW. I N GO ANYWHERE THE WORLD.” THEN, HE PS, REALIZG THE IRONY HIS LAST WORDS. “EXCEPT HOME, OF URSE.”ON JANUARY 26, 2010, RAWASHDA WAS PICKED UP BY THE PALTIAN SECRET POLICE THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. COPS HAD GONE THROUGH HIS IEND’S CELLPHONE, WHERE THEY FOUND TEXT MSAG SENT OM RAWASHDA THAT MA CLEAR THEY WERE BOTH GAY. NEXT THG HE KNEW, HE WAS AN TERROGATN ROOM BEG ACCED OF LLABORATG WH ISRAEL. “I’D NEVER EVEN BEEN TO ISRAEL BEFORE. BUT ANYONE WHO’S GAY IS IMMEDIATELY ACCED OF SPYG FOR THE ENEMY.” FOR THE NEXT 16 HOURS, RAWASHDA WAS BTALLY BEATEN AND TORTURED. TWELVE THUGS UNIFORM DUNKED HIS HEAD A TOILET, TRYG TO GET HIM TO SIGN A NFSN. “IT WAS THE WORST NIGHT OF MY LIFE. I DON’T LIKE TALKG ABOUT .” WHEN RAWASHDA REFED, THEY PICKED UP THE PHONE, AT 5 A.M., LLED HIS DAD AND TOLD HIM HIS SON WAS GAY.“THEY KNEW WAS MY BIGGT FEAR. THEY WANTED TO PUNISH ME.” HIS MOM TOLD HIM OVER THE PHONE NOT TO RETURN HOME BEE HIS FATHER AND BROTHER WERE GOG TO E AFTER HIM. “I HAD ‘DISHONORED’ THE FAY.”WH THE HELP OF SOME IENDS, RAWASHDA PED TO JORDAN, THEN ISRAEL. HE WAS AWE OF TEL AVIV, A GAY-IENDLY CY WH PRI PARAS RIVALG THOSE BERL AND AMSTERDAM. AS WE CHAT ABOUT HIS LIFE ISRAEL, RAWASHDA TELLS ME TO PAN THE MERA SO HE ULD SEE THE STREET BEHD ME. “HOW IS TEL AVIV?” HE ASKS. “I MISS .”LS THAN TWO WEEKS AFTER FALLY MAKG TO SAFETY, RAWASHDA WAS PICKED UP AGA, THIS TIME BY THE TEL AVIV PD. “SOMETHG WAS GOG DOWN, AND THEY WERE CHECKG PEOPLE’S IDS.” RAWASHDA, AN UNDOCUMENTED PALTIAN ISRAEL ILLEGALLY, WAS TAKEN TO CTODY. FEARG PORTATN, HE APPEALED TO THE OFFICER’S SENSE OF PASSN. “I CRIED. I TOLD HIM IF THEY SEND ME BACK, MY LIFE WOULD BE DANGER.”INSTEAD, HE WAS OFFERED A AL: PERMISSN TO STAY, IF HE BEME AN RMANT. THE IRONY WASN’T LOST ON HIM. “I WAS ALMOST KILLED BY MY OWN PEOPLE WHO ACCED ME OF BEG AN RMANT FOR ISRAEL, AND NOW ISRAELIS WERE TRYG TO GET ME TO DO . EVERYONE JT WANTED TO E ME.”WHEN HE REFED, ISRAELI SECURY FORC RTED HIM TO THE CHECKPOT. BUT RAWASHDA MANAGED TO RETURN, TIME AND TIME AGA. HE’D GET UGHT, PS WOULD SEND HIM ACROSS THE BORR, AND RAWASHDA WOULD FD A WAY BACK: A DANGERO SISYPHEAN GAME HE PLAYED WH ISRAELI SECURY PEOPLE FOR MORE THAN TWO MONTHS.DURG THAT TIME, HE MET A YOUNG FILMMAKER, YARIV MOZER, WHO WAS SHOOTG A DOCUMENTARY LLED “THE INVISIBLE MEN,” ABOUT GAY PALTIANS LIVG TEL AVIV.“THEY’RE TRAPPED AN IMPOSSIBLE SUATN,” SAID MOZER. “THEY N’T GO HOME, BEE THEY’RE AAID OF BEG KILLED BY THEIR OWN FAI, AND THEY N’T GET ASYLUM ISRAEL BEE OF THEIR PERCEIVED SECURY THREAT.”MOZER, WHO CLUD RAWASHDA HIS DOCUMENTARY, GOT HIM TOUCH WH THE AGUDA, ISRAEL’S NATNAL LGBT TASK FORCE, WHICH WAS ABLE TO HELP HIM FD A LAWYER SPECIALIZG ASYLUM S.IT’S HARD TO SAY HOW MANY GAY PALTIANS LIVE AND WORK ISRAEL. THERE ARE NO STUDI ON THE MATTER, NOT THAT WOULD HELP. “WHEN YOU’RE SURVIVAL MO, TAK OVER,” SAID ANAT BEN-DOR OF THE REFUGEE RIGHTS CLIC AT THE TEL AVIV UNIVERSY LAW FACULTY. “IN THIS SE, A BIG PART OF THAT SURVIVAL IS HIDG.”THE ON WHO’VE MANAGED TO ELU THORI ARE MOSTLY OM THE WT BANK. FEW, IF ANY, ARE OM GAZA, PARTLY BEE OF THE BLOCKA AND PARTLY BEE HAMAS HAS PHED GAYS EVEN EPER TO THE CLOSET. SO FAR NO GAY PALTIAN HAS EVER BEEN GRANTED ASYLUM ISRAEL. IN FACT PALTIANS, GAY OR STRAIGHT, ARE BARRED OM EVEN APPLYG FOR REFUGEE STAT ISRAEL.IN 2002, PALTIANS OM THE WT BANK ALLEGEDLY ED THEIR PERMS TO AID SUICI BOMBERS, WHICH LED ISRAEL TO PASS LAWS LIMG THE GRANTG OF RINCY PERMS TO PALTIANS. SCE THEN, ONLY PALTIANS WHOSE LIV ARE DANGER BEE THEY’VE LLABORATED WH ISRAEL ARE GRANTED PERMS.BUT EXPERTS SAY EVEN IF THERE WAS A WAY FOR THEM TO APPLY, MANY N’T. “TO GET HELP, GAY PALTIANS HAVE TO GET THROUGH CREDIBLE HURDL,” SAID BEN-DOR. “THEY HAVE TO MEET ISRAELIS OR OTHER PALTIANS THEY TST ENOUGH TO NFI THAT THEY’RE BOTH GAY AND LIVG THE UNTRY ILLEGALLY. THAT PERSON HAS TO THEN BE WILLG AND ABLE TO FD THE RIGHT ANIZATN THAT ULD DIRECT THEM TO THE APPROPRIATE LAWYERS, AND EVEN THEN, THERE IS NO CHANCE OF GETTG PROTECTN AGAST PORTATN BACK TO THE OCCUPIED PALTIAN TERRORI.”NOT TO MENTN, MANY OF THEM HAVE NEVER UTTERED THE WORDS “I’M GAY” BEFORE. “THEY HAVEN’T EVEN GONE THROUGH THE TERNAL PROCS OF G OUT OF THE CLOSET,” SAID SHAI DOSH OF THE AGUDA. “AND WE N’T HELP THEM UNLS THEY E TO AND SAY THOSE WORDS. WE, AS AN LGBT TASK FORCE, N ONLY HELP THEM IF THEY E TO AND SAY, ‘I’M GAY.’”STILL, MANY BELIEVE ISRAEL SIMPLY ISN’T TOO KEEN ON SHELTERG ANY REFUGE NO MATTER WHERE THEY E OM. ISRAEL’S RECENT HANDLG OF TENS OF THOANDS OF SUDANE AND ERREAN REFUGE, WHO FLOOD S SOUTHERN BORRS, HAS BEEN A PR NIGHTMARE. THOANDS WERE ARRTED AS SOON AS THEY SET FOOT THE UNTRY. “WHEN THE SUDANE ME, ISRAEL NSIRED THEM ENEMY NATNALS RATHER THAN REFUGE. THEY WERE PUT JAIL BEE THEY WERE ALL EMED TO BE A SECURY RISK SIMPLY BEE OF THEIR NATNALY,” SAID BEN-DOR. “THEY HAD NO IA WHAT TO DO WH THEM. ONCE THEY REALIZED MANY OF THEM WEREN’T NECSARILY PART OF THE REGIME BUT S VICTIMS, THEY RELEASED THEM.” SHE SAYS SHE HOP THAT LEARNG CURVE WILL APPLY SOME DAY THE SE OF GAY PALTIANS. “JT AS ISRAEL LEARNED THAT NOT ALL SUDANE NATNALS ARE A SECURY RISK SIMPLY BEE OF THEIR NATNALY, WILL LEARN THAT A PALTIAN WHO SEEKS PROTECTN IS NOT NECSARILY A SECURY RISK.”OTHERS BELIEVE ISRAEL SHOULD BE MORE WELG TO ASYLUM SEEKERS, NSIRG WAS FOUND BY JEWISH REFUGE.“THIS IS NOT THE WAY A MOCRATIC UNTRY BEHAV,” SAID YOHANA LERMAN, AN ISRAELI LAWYER WHO REPRENTS SEVERAL GAY PALTIANS SEEKG ASYLUM. “ISRAEL IS DRAGGG S FEET. WE KEEP GETTG THE NAROUND WHILE THE ISSUE IS PASSED OM MTEE TO MTEE.”“WE FOLLOW THE GENEVA CONVENTN, JT LIKE ANY UNTRY,” SAID SAB HADAD, SPOKPERSON FOR THE ISRAELI INTERR MISTRY. “BUT ACRDG TO TERNATNAL LAW, BEG GAY IS NOT A REASON FOR GRANTG ASYLUM. WE CHECK EVERY SE DIVIDUALLY.” SHE SAID THERE IS ALSO THE QUTN OF VERIFITN. “ANYONE N SAY THAT THEY’RE GAY ORR TO GET ASYLUM. HOW N WE KNOW FOR SURE?”BEN-DOR SAID THAT’S HOGWASH. “THERE ARE WAYS TO VTIGATE THE CLAIMS. OTHER UNTRI THAT AL WH THIS ISSUE TRA THEIR ASYLUM OFFICERS ON HOW TO VET PEOPLE’S STORI.”BUT NOT EVERYTHG IS GRIM. “SURPRISGLY, MOVI LIKE THE INVISIBLE MEN AND OUT THE DARK [ABOUT AN ISRAELI MAN WHO FALLS LOVE WH A GAY PALTIAN WHOSE FAY HAS TI TO HAMAS] HAVE MA A DIFFERENCE,” SAID DOSH. “ALSO, WE’VE BEEN WORKG WH LOL THORI, TG THEM ABOUT THE ISSUE, SO THAT RATHER THAN TAKE THEM BACK TO THE BORR THEY LL FIRST.”RAWASHDA’S STORY HAS A HAPPY-ISH ENDG. THANKS TO ISRAELI LAWYERS AND NGOS, HE WAS GRANTED ASYLUM A SMALL TOWN NORWAY, POPULATN 20,000. “I LEFT MY UNTRY AND GAVE UP EVERYTHG SO THAT I ULD BE GAY. ONLY THERE WERE NO GAY PEOPLE THERE. I MISSED MY HOME, THE WEATHER, THE LANGUAGE. I WAS VERY PRSED.”EVENTUALLY, RAWASHDA MOVED TO OSLO, ONE OF THE MOST PROGRSIVE CI THE WORLD. HE HAS A BOYIEND NOW, A JOB, AND A TY, YET HOMEY, PLACE ONE OF THE NICT NEIGHBORHOODS THE CY. HIS RELATNSHIP WH HIS FAY IS “FE.”HE’S NOT A FAN OF ISRAEL. IN FACT, RAWASHDA BLAM THE OCCUPATN FOR HAMAS AND THE PALTIAN AUTHORY’S TREATMENT OF GAYS, “YOU NEED TO LIBERATE THE PEOPLE SO THEY N LIBERATE THEMSELV,” HE TOLD ME, EVEN THOUGH THE PA’S VIEWS ARE NSISTENT WH OTHER ARAB UNTRI WHO HAVE NEVER BEEN UNR ISRAELI OCCUPATN. BUT HE’S THANKFUL FOR THOSE ISRAELIS, MOST OF THEM GAY, WHO TOOK HIM AND SAVED HIS LIFE. “I WATCH THE NEWS NOW. THERE IS SO MUCH FIGHTG BACK HOME,” HE SAID WH SADNS. “IF GAY PEOPLE RAN THAT REGN, ON BOTH SIS, THERE WOULD BE NO WAR.” ITAY HOD
• NOWHERE TO RUN: GAY PALTIAN ASYLUM-SEEKERS ISRAEL
• PALTIAN AUTHORY BANS ACTIVI BY GAY RIGHTS GROUP

EXPLORG GAY PALTE

“Meet me at Arafat Square, ” my gay Paltian iend Najeeb texted me, “I’ll take you to one of the queer fés Ramallah. Admtedly, I arrived the Wt Bank wh certa expectatns of homophobia, xenophobia, and even vlence. Acrdg to Troy Masters, origally om Nashville and currently livg New York as the -founr and associate publisher of Gay Cy News.

Troy reunts a story of g across a small group of gay and l- bian Paltians Ramallah who, “after spottg me as gay, ved me to their table and offered me ffee. ” Many other gay travelers I met the Wt Bank reunted siar stori of hospaly.

Another gay Paltean I met Ramallah, Sam, says that homosexualy is generally not accepted Palte, but there are spac Ramallah where you n “be whatever you want. Though there are no laws the Wt Bank that crimalize homo-sexualy, neher are there laws that protect LGBTQ persons om discrimatn. Gay polics Palte are plited by a nvo- luted history of legal s, cludg Ottoman, Brish, Jordanian, Egyptian, and Israeli occupatn.

GAY PALTIAN AHMAD ABU MARHIA BEHEAD WT BANK

In Gaza, for example, homosexual acts between men are still illegal unr the Brish Mandate Crimal Co Ordance of 1936. (For more rmatn on LGBTQ rights Palte, I suggt readg through the publitns of the Paltian gay rights group lled alQaws. Timothy McCarthy, a foundg member of Barack Obama’s Natnal LGBT Learship Council and part of the first LGBT legatn of the US to Israel/Palte told me that “the suatn that Paltians them- selv are ‘by nature’ more homophobic is not te…while there is certaly more progrs to be ma on LGBT issu Palte, this is te of Israel and the Uned Stat as well.

I spoke wh several other gay travelers about how safe they felt durg their travels to the Wt Bank.

LGBTQ groups Israel, where Ahmad Abu Marhia was seekg asylum, say he had received threats bee he was gay. Homosexualy is rejected wh the most socially and religly nservative parts of both Paltian and Israeli societi but gay people Israel n eely lead their liv. Khar had been attendg screengs of and dog promotn for Oriented, a new documentary about the liv of gay Paltians Tel Aviv.

GAY PALTIANS

And while Tel Aviv's stat as a gay hotspot is world news, gay Paltians rarely—if ever—benef om this the subject of Oriented is jt one part of how Khar promot visibily and unrstandg for LGBT Paltians. We spoke about his new film, his party l for gay Paltians, and what mak him feel at home when he's New York. But I'll get on board if you do a film about me and my iends and our plex om livg si this untry as Paltians and as gays.

'WE’RE FIGHTG TWO FIGHTS HERE': BEG GAY AND PALTIAN ISRAEL

On one si, we're fightg our fight ont of our muni, ont of Paltians, to show that we're gay and we're allowed to be gay and to change the perceptn of what a gay Paltian is and what a Paltian is si this untry. In the 90s there was this crazy cema scene Israel wh a lot of movi about gay relatnships wh Jews and Arabs, Paltian and Israeli. We've seen that ncept and this would have jt been the gay documentary and I were a great place and I didn't have the urge or need to show to the whole world.

If they thk of gay Paltians they will always thk he is a victim.

We wanted to show that Israel and the Wtern Media don't have a monopoly on me was more important to show my people that a gay Paltian n speak. But this is how I n talk about , to say that we are here and we exist, to be a mol for other gays and to try and change our realy.

GAY PALTIANS ARE BEG BLACKMAILED INTO WORKG AS INFORMANTS

When an Israeli meets a gay Paltian here he will have so many stigmas and wrong ias about where he om and what his fay is like.

A lot of gay guys and Israelis thk that they e om a pot that's more open.

And of urse Tel Aviv is nsired open md and nsired the bt place to be gay Israel but actually you have to be a certa kd of gay person to receive this tolerance and acceptance. Five mut om here there are towns where we would get our ass kicked for beg gay.

A YOUNG GAY PALTIAN SNEAKS INTO ISRAEL. HE NEEDS HELP. IT COM WH A HEAVY PRICE

But most of the ele figur Tel Aviv, the gay on, are whe and Ashkenazi and As much as Tel Aviv is liberal, 's also the least diverse of the big ci Israel. Part of the reason why there are so many gay, Jewish Israelis here is that—. What I wanted to ask is if that same movement to Tel Aviv happens wh gay Paltian youth as well.

I thk a lot of gay, Jewish Israelis want to be alli to the Arab muny. The send time was when I met an Israeli gay uple and they ved me to dner. A gay Paltian man who had been livg Israel for two years while awag asylum Canada was found behead Wednday, and a spect has been arrted after circulatg imag on social body of Ahmad Abu Marhia, 25, was disvered the cy of Hebron, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports.

SHOCK, QUTNS AFTER GOME KILLG OF GAY PALTIAN

He had received ath threats for beg gay, but police said they had not termed a motive for the crime. While there are few gay Paltians who are darg to speak out about their homosexualy, Yehya, like many others, has no tentn of jog them.

“I thank God that my fay and iends know nothg about my homosexualy, and I prefer thgs to stay the way they are, ” he says. Homosexualy do not go down well wh most Paltians, wh many viewg as sful and unnatural. Islam, the relign of the majory of Paltians, views homosexualy as a viatn om the norm, wh Islamic scholars nsentg that all humans are “naturally heterosexual” a rult, many Paltian homosexuals are a left wh no choice but to close themselv off om society, makg hard to know the actual number of homosexuals the untry.

GAY PALTIANS IN ISRAEL: THE ‘INVISIBLE MEN’HIDG OUTON THE N OM THEIR PALTIAN FAI, LIVG ILLEGALLY ISRAEL—TREATED BY BOTH SIS AS THE ENEMY—GAYS OM THE PALTIAN TERRORI N’T GO HOME AGA.ITAY HODUPDATED APR. 14, 2017 3:07PM EDT / PUBLISHED AUG. 13, 2014 5:45AM EDT SHAHAR REZNIKTEL AVIV, ISRAEL — ON A WEEKDAY MORNG AUGT, ABDUL RAWASHDA, A 27-YEAR-OLD PALTIAN OM HEBRON, SHOWS ME HIS WT OSLO BACHELOR PAD VIA SKYPE. IT’S A SHORT TOUR. RAWASHDA IS HOLDG HIS LAPTOP AS HE POTS OUT EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY OF HIS STUD APARTMENT. “COZY” IS WHAT YOU’D LL IF YOU WERE PUTTG UP A “FOR RENT” AD THE PAPER. “IT’S VERY SMALL,” HE SAID, AS THOUGH HE ULD READ MY THOUGHTS, “BUT I LIKE .”IT’S A DREARY DAY NORWAY SPE BEG THE MIDDLE OF SUMMER. “IT HASN’T STOPPED RAG,” HE SAID, VERG HIMSELF WH A THICK BLANKET. “I’LL NEVER GET ED TO THIS WEATHER.” FROM HIS BALNY OVERLOOKG THE AMERIN EMBASSY HANGS A PALTIAN FLAG. “I WANT THEM TO SEE EVERY MORNG WHEN THEY E ,” HE LGHS.IT’S A FAR CRY OM HIS HOMETOWN THE WT BANK, THE PLACE HE WAS FORCED TO FLEE. “I’M HAPPY,” HE SAID. “I LOVE NORWAY. I HAVE NORWEGIAN CIZENSHIP NOW. I N GO ANYWHERE THE WORLD.” THEN, HE PS, REALIZG THE IRONY HIS LAST WORDS. “EXCEPT HOME, OF URSE.”ON JANUARY 26, 2010, RAWASHDA WAS PICKED UP BY THE PALTIAN SECRET POLICE THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. COPS HAD GONE THROUGH HIS IEND’S CELLPHONE, WHERE THEY FOUND TEXT MSAG SENT OM RAWASHDA THAT MA CLEAR THEY WERE BOTH GAY. NEXT THG HE KNEW, HE WAS AN TERROGATN ROOM BEG ACCED OF LLABORATG WH ISRAEL. “I’D NEVER EVEN BEEN TO ISRAEL BEFORE. BUT ANYONE WHO’S GAY IS IMMEDIATELY ACCED OF SPYG FOR THE ENEMY.” FOR THE NEXT 16 HOURS, RAWASHDA WAS BTALLY BEATEN AND TORTURED. TWELVE THUGS UNIFORM DUNKED HIS HEAD A TOILET, TRYG TO GET HIM TO SIGN A NFSN. “IT WAS THE WORST NIGHT OF MY LIFE. I DON’T LIKE TALKG ABOUT .” WHEN RAWASHDA REFED, THEY PICKED UP THE PHONE, AT 5 A.M., LLED HIS DAD AND TOLD HIM HIS SON WAS GAY.“THEY KNEW WAS MY BIGGT FEAR. THEY WANTED TO PUNISH ME.” HIS MOM TOLD HIM OVER THE PHONE NOT TO RETURN HOME BEE HIS FATHER AND BROTHER WERE GOG TO E AFTER HIM. “I HAD ‘DISHONORED’ THE FAY.”WH THE HELP OF SOME IENDS, RAWASHDA PED TO JORDAN, THEN ISRAEL. HE WAS AWE OF TEL AVIV, A GAY-IENDLY CY WH PRI PARAS RIVALG THOSE BERL AND AMSTERDAM. AS WE CHAT ABOUT HIS LIFE ISRAEL, RAWASHDA TELLS ME TO PAN THE MERA SO HE ULD SEE THE STREET BEHD ME. “HOW IS TEL AVIV?” HE ASKS. “I MISS .”LS THAN TWO WEEKS AFTER FALLY MAKG TO SAFETY, RAWASHDA WAS PICKED UP AGA, THIS TIME BY THE TEL AVIV PD. “SOMETHG WAS GOG DOWN, AND THEY WERE CHECKG PEOPLE’S IDS.” RAWASHDA, AN UNDOCUMENTED PALTIAN ISRAEL ILLEGALLY, WAS TAKEN TO CTODY. FEARG PORTATN, HE APPEALED TO THE OFFICER’S SENSE OF PASSN. “I CRIED. I TOLD HIM IF THEY SEND ME BACK, MY LIFE WOULD BE DANGER.”INSTEAD, HE WAS OFFERED A AL: PERMISSN TO STAY, IF HE BEME AN RMANT. THE IRONY WASN’T LOST ON HIM. “I WAS ALMOST KILLED BY MY OWN PEOPLE WHO ACCED ME OF BEG AN RMANT FOR ISRAEL, AND NOW ISRAELIS WERE TRYG TO GET ME TO DO . EVERYONE JT WANTED TO E ME.”WHEN HE REFED, ISRAELI SECURY FORC RTED HIM TO THE CHECKPOT. BUT RAWASHDA MANAGED TO RETURN, TIME AND TIME AGA. HE’D GET UGHT, PS WOULD SEND HIM ACROSS THE BORR, AND RAWASHDA WOULD FD A WAY BACK: A DANGERO SISYPHEAN GAME HE PLAYED WH ISRAELI SECURY PEOPLE FOR MORE THAN TWO MONTHS.DURG THAT TIME, HE MET A YOUNG FILMMAKER, YARIV MOZER, WHO WAS SHOOTG A DOCUMENTARY LLED “THE INVISIBLE MEN,” ABOUT GAY PALTIANS LIVG TEL AVIV.“THEY’RE TRAPPED AN IMPOSSIBLE SUATN,” SAID MOZER. “THEY N’T GO HOME, BEE THEY’RE AAID OF BEG KILLED BY THEIR OWN FAI, AND THEY N’T GET ASYLUM ISRAEL BEE OF THEIR PERCEIVED SECURY THREAT.”MOZER, WHO CLUD RAWASHDA HIS DOCUMENTARY, GOT HIM TOUCH WH THE AGUDA, ISRAEL’S NATNAL LGBT TASK FORCE, WHICH WAS ABLE TO HELP HIM FD A LAWYER SPECIALIZG ASYLUM S.IT’S HARD TO SAY HOW MANY GAY PALTIANS LIVE AND WORK ISRAEL. THERE ARE NO STUDI ON THE MATTER, NOT THAT WOULD HELP. “WHEN YOU’RE SURVIVAL MO, TAK OVER,” SAID ANAT BEN-DOR OF THE REFUGEE RIGHTS CLIC AT THE TEL AVIV UNIVERSY LAW FACULTY. “IN THIS SE, A BIG PART OF THAT SURVIVAL IS HIDG.”THE ON WHO’VE MANAGED TO ELU THORI ARE MOSTLY OM THE WT BANK. FEW, IF ANY, ARE OM GAZA, PARTLY BEE OF THE BLOCKA AND PARTLY BEE HAMAS HAS PHED GAYS EVEN EPER TO THE CLOSET. SO FAR NO GAY PALTIAN HAS EVER BEEN GRANTED ASYLUM ISRAEL. IN FACT PALTIANS, GAY OR STRAIGHT, ARE BARRED OM EVEN APPLYG FOR REFUGEE STAT ISRAEL.IN 2002, PALTIANS OM THE WT BANK ALLEGEDLY ED THEIR PERMS TO AID SUICI BOMBERS, WHICH LED ISRAEL TO PASS LAWS LIMG THE GRANTG OF RINCY PERMS TO PALTIANS. SCE THEN, ONLY PALTIANS WHOSE LIV ARE DANGER BEE THEY’VE LLABORATED WH ISRAEL ARE GRANTED PERMS.BUT EXPERTS SAY EVEN IF THERE WAS A WAY FOR THEM TO APPLY, MANY N’T. “TO GET HELP, GAY PALTIANS HAVE TO GET THROUGH CREDIBLE HURDL,” SAID BEN-DOR. “THEY HAVE TO MEET ISRAELIS OR OTHER PALTIANS THEY TST ENOUGH TO NFI THAT THEY’RE BOTH GAY AND LIVG THE UNTRY ILLEGALLY. THAT PERSON HAS TO THEN BE WILLG AND ABLE TO FD THE RIGHT ANIZATN THAT ULD DIRECT THEM TO THE APPROPRIATE LAWYERS, AND EVEN THEN, THERE IS NO CHANCE OF GETTG PROTECTN AGAST PORTATN BACK TO THE OCCUPIED PALTIAN TERRORI.”NOT TO MENTN, MANY OF THEM HAVE NEVER UTTERED THE WORDS “I’M GAY” BEFORE. “THEY HAVEN’T EVEN GONE THROUGH THE TERNAL PROCS OF G OUT OF THE CLOSET,” SAID SHAI DOSH OF THE AGUDA. “AND WE N’T HELP THEM UNLS THEY E TO AND SAY THOSE WORDS. WE, AS AN LGBT TASK FORCE, N ONLY HELP THEM IF THEY E TO AND SAY, ‘I’M GAY.’”STILL, MANY BELIEVE ISRAEL SIMPLY ISN’T TOO KEEN ON SHELTERG ANY REFUGE NO MATTER WHERE THEY E OM. ISRAEL’S RECENT HANDLG OF TENS OF THOANDS OF SUDANE AND ERREAN REFUGE, WHO FLOOD S SOUTHERN BORRS, HAS BEEN A PR NIGHTMARE. THOANDS WERE ARRTED AS SOON AS THEY SET FOOT THE UNTRY. “WHEN THE SUDANE ME, ISRAEL NSIRED THEM ENEMY NATNALS RATHER THAN REFUGE. THEY WERE PUT JAIL BEE THEY WERE ALL EMED TO BE A SECURY RISK SIMPLY BEE OF THEIR NATNALY,” SAID BEN-DOR. “THEY HAD NO IA WHAT TO DO WH THEM. ONCE THEY REALIZED MANY OF THEM WEREN’T NECSARILY PART OF THE REGIME BUT S VICTIMS, THEY RELEASED THEM.” SHE SAYS SHE HOP THAT LEARNG CURVE WILL APPLY SOME DAY THE SE OF GAY PALTIANS. “JT AS ISRAEL LEARNED THAT NOT ALL SUDANE NATNALS ARE A SECURY RISK SIMPLY BEE OF THEIR NATNALY, WILL LEARN THAT A PALTIAN WHO SEEKS PROTECTN IS NOT NECSARILY A SECURY RISK.”OTHERS BELIEVE ISRAEL SHOULD BE MORE WELG TO ASYLUM SEEKERS, NSIRG WAS FOUND BY JEWISH REFUGE.“THIS IS NOT THE WAY A MOCRATIC UNTRY BEHAV,” SAID YOHANA LERMAN, AN ISRAELI LAWYER WHO REPRENTS SEVERAL GAY PALTIANS SEEKG ASYLUM. “ISRAEL IS DRAGGG S FEET. WE KEEP GETTG THE NAROUND WHILE THE ISSUE IS PASSED OM MTEE TO MTEE.”“WE FOLLOW THE GENEVA CONVENTN, JT LIKE ANY UNTRY,” SAID SAB HADAD, SPOKPERSON FOR THE ISRAELI INTERR MISTRY. “BUT ACRDG TO TERNATNAL LAW, BEG GAY IS NOT A REASON FOR GRANTG ASYLUM. WE CHECK EVERY SE DIVIDUALLY.” SHE SAID THERE IS ALSO THE QUTN OF VERIFITN. “ANYONE N SAY THAT THEY’RE GAY ORR TO GET ASYLUM. HOW N WE KNOW FOR SURE?”BEN-DOR SAID THAT’S HOGWASH. “THERE ARE WAYS TO VTIGATE THE CLAIMS. OTHER UNTRI THAT AL WH THIS ISSUE TRA THEIR ASYLUM OFFICERS ON HOW TO VET PEOPLE’S STORI.”BUT NOT EVERYTHG IS GRIM. “SURPRISGLY, MOVI LIKE THE INVISIBLE MEN AND OUT THE DARK [ABOUT AN ISRAELI MAN WHO FALLS LOVE WH A GAY PALTIAN WHOSE FAY HAS TI TO HAMAS] HAVE MA A DIFFERENCE,” SAID DOSH. “ALSO, WE’VE BEEN WORKG WH LOL THORI, TG THEM ABOUT THE ISSUE, SO THAT RATHER THAN TAKE THEM BACK TO THE BORR THEY LL FIRST.”RAWASHDA’S STORY HAS A HAPPY-ISH ENDG. THANKS TO ISRAELI LAWYERS AND NGOS, HE WAS GRANTED ASYLUM A SMALL TOWN NORWAY, POPULATN 20,000. “I LEFT MY UNTRY AND GAVE UP EVERYTHG SO THAT I ULD BE GAY. ONLY THERE WERE NO GAY PEOPLE THERE. I MISSED MY HOME, THE WEATHER, THE LANGUAGE. I WAS VERY PRSED.”EVENTUALLY, RAWASHDA MOVED TO OSLO, ONE OF THE MOST PROGRSIVE CI THE WORLD. HE HAS A BOYIEND NOW, A JOB, AND A TY, YET HOMEY, PLACE ONE OF THE NICT NEIGHBORHOODS THE CY. HIS RELATNSHIP WH HIS FAY IS “FE.”HE’S NOT A FAN OF ISRAEL. IN FACT, RAWASHDA BLAM THE OCCUPATN FOR HAMAS AND THE PALTIAN AUTHORY’S TREATMENT OF GAYS, “YOU NEED TO LIBERATE THE PEOPLE SO THEY N LIBERATE THEMSELV,” HE TOLD ME, EVEN THOUGH THE PA’S VIEWS ARE NSISTENT WH OTHER ARAB UNTRI WHO HAVE NEVER BEEN UNR ISRAELI OCCUPATN. BUT HE’S THANKFUL FOR THOSE ISRAELIS, MOST OF THEM GAY, WHO TOOK HIM AND SAVED HIS LIFE. “I WATCH THE NEWS NOW. THERE IS SO MUCH FIGHTG BACK HOME,” HE SAID WH SADNS. “IF GAY PEOPLE RAN THAT REGN, ON BOTH SIS, THERE WOULD BE NO WAR.” ITAY HOD

“I don’t know the exact number of homosexuals the occupied Paltian terrori, but the number is relatively high, ” not many, however, hidg their homosexualy for fear of social stigma wh a high price. As almost all men live wh their fai until they're married, homosexuals e unr prsure to nform to societal and fay expectatns. “Some of my iends, who are homosexuals, end up marryg to straight partners.

They are even willg to attack homosexuals verbally, ” says 25-year-old Abdu, a Paltian gay activist, who liv Abdu, who om a nservative Mlim background, beg gay Palte is not a problem, the problem is homophobia.

“Gays are looked down upon, not only Palte, but other Arab untri as well, ” he many others who live closeted liv risk of beg disowned and dishonoured by their fai, Abdu had no tentn of lettg his fay know about his homosexualy.

NOWHERE TO RUN: GAY PALTIAN ASYLUM-SEEKERS ISRAEL

“They tortured me so to adm that I’m an Israeli spy, I told them even if you’ll kill me I won’t adm anythg other than my homosexualy, ” he adds. Abdu later managed to get out of the untry and was granted a polil asylum Paltian law don't crimalise homosexualy, there is no specific civil rights legislatn to protect homosexuals. Acrdg to different reports, the Israeli telligence (Sh Bet) has, different s, blackmailed Paltian homosexuals to llaboratg wh them by threateng to expose them.

PALTIAN AUTHORY BANS ACTIVI BY GAY RIGHTS GROUP

In her published letter, she said that sce 2000, the Sh Bet has had a policy of blackmailg gay Paltians and “threateng to ot them unls they bee rmants agast their own people. ”“For this reason, gay people Palte have a reputatn as llaborators wh Israel—as a rult some of the homophobia gays and lbians Palte experience is the direct product of the occupatn self, ” she and Abdu uldn’t agree more.

For them, no one n talk about homosexual rights before endg the Israeli occupatn. Yehya says that discsg the rights of homosexuals Palte n wa, as other basic human rights are still vlated by Israel. Right now, all Yehya asks for is for homosexualy to receive media verage, “jt to clear the negative image some people might have about , ” he advotg gay rights Palte as a member of Queers4Palte – a work of LGBTQ activists – Abdu sists that, “the most important thg for Paltians is to get liberated om the Israeli occupatn.