Israel Prents Itself As Haven For Gay Communy : NPR

Contents:

• IDF GAY SOLDIERS
• TOP OFFICIAL IN ISRAELI ARMY COM OUT AS GAY"THE IDF IS THE PEOPLE’S ARMY AND ENURAG ALL WHO WANT TO NTRIBUTE AND GROW," SAID 

BRIG.-GEN. SHARON {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}NEWSBY DAN AVERYMAY 14, 2017/8:53 {HEIGHT:HER;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;POSN:RELATIVE;-WEBK-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-MS-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-WEBK-ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-ALIGN:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-ALIGN:CENTER;ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-WEBK-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;-MS-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;} IMG{HEIGHT:100%;WIDTH:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;}{HEIGHT:574PX;WIDTH:1020PX;}BY DAN AVERYMAY 14, 2017 / 8:53 AM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"TOP OFFICIAL IN ISRAELI ARMY COM OUT AS GAY","THUMBNAILURL":","DATEPUBLISHED":"2017-05-14T12:53:58.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2017-05-14T12:53:58.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"DAN AVERY","KEYWORDS":"TERNATNAL","ARTICLESECTN":"NEWS"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}A MEMBER OF THE IDF GENERAL STAFF, THE ARY ADVOTE-GENERAL OF THE ISRAEL ARMY, HAS E OUT AS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BRIG.-GEN. SHARON AFEK TOLD THE ISRAEL BAR ASSOCIATN’S MAGAZE THAT EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE POCKETS OF “IGNORANCE AND HATRED,” HE’S NEVER EXPERIENCED DISCRIMATN HIMSELF. “WHEN I WAS A YOUNG OFFICER, TIM WERE DIFFERENT AND I WORRIED THAT THE ISSUE WOULD BE ED AGAST ME AND THAT I MIGHT REALLY H THE GLASS CEILG,” HE SAID. “BUT HAPPILY, THE ISSUE DID NOT MAKE WAV.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“THE IDF IS THE PEOPLE’S ARMY AND ENURAG ALL WHO WANT TO NTRIBUTE AND GROW,” AFEK ADD. “I WILL BE PLEASED IF MANY MORE WILL FOLLOW MY FOOTSTEPS.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ALL ISRAELIS SERVE A TWO-YEAR MIMUM ENLISTMENT THE ARY, WHICH BEGAN ADMTG GAY, LBIAN AND BISEXUAL SERVICE MEMBERS 1993. (UN 8200, ONE OF THE LARGT UNS THE ISRAELI ARMY, IS KNOWN TO HAVE A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF LGBT SOLDIERS.) IN 2013, THE FIRST TRANSGENR SERVICE MEMBER BEGAN SERVG OPENLY THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“I THK THAT THE CISNS WHICH WERE UNRTAKEN UNTIL NOW WERE BALANCED AND WELL-NSIRED AND THAT THEY MAKE POSSIBLE FOR ALL THOSE SERVG THE IDF TO FULLY SERVE,” SAID {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS
• ARMY’S ‘GAY SOLDIERS’ PHOTO WAS STAGED, IS MISLEADG
• ISRAEL PRENTS ITSELF AS HAVEN FOR GAY COMMUNY
• JEWISH GAYS WRECK AMERIN CULTURE
• ISRAEL A MOL ON GAYS THE ARY

IDF GAY SOLDIERS

At a time when most of the world's ari still officially ban gay and lbian soldiers om servg, Shachar's ary service stands apart.

He is now speakg ternatnally, hopg his se n help transform the attus of ari like the Uned Stat, which has embraced lbian, gay, and bisexual soldiers but still will not allow trans soldiers to serve.

TOP OFFICIAL IN ISRAELI ARMY COM OUT AS GAY"THE IDF IS THE PEOPLE’S ARMY AND ENURAG ALL WHO WANT TO NTRIBUTE AND GROW," SAID 

BRIG.-GEN. SHARON {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}NEWSBY DAN AVERYMAY 14, 2017/8:53 {HEIGHT:HER;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;POSN:RELATIVE;-WEBK-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-MS-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-WEBK-ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-ALIGN:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-ALIGN:CENTER;ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-WEBK-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;-MS-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;} IMG{HEIGHT:100%;WIDTH:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;}{HEIGHT:574PX;WIDTH:1020PX;}BY DAN AVERYMAY 14, 2017 / 8:53 AM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"TOP OFFICIAL IN ISRAELI ARMY COM OUT AS GAY","THUMBNAILURL":","DATEPUBLISHED":"2017-05-14T12:53:58.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2017-05-14T12:53:58.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"DAN AVERY","KEYWORDS":"TERNATNAL","ARTICLESECTN":"NEWS"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}A MEMBER OF THE IDF GENERAL STAFF, THE ARY ADVOTE-GENERAL OF THE ISRAEL ARMY, HAS E OUT AS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BRIG.-GEN. SHARON AFEK TOLD THE ISRAEL BAR ASSOCIATN’S MAGAZE THAT EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE POCKETS OF “IGNORANCE AND HATRED,” HE’S NEVER EXPERIENCED DISCRIMATN HIMSELF. “WHEN I WAS A YOUNG OFFICER, TIM WERE DIFFERENT AND I WORRIED THAT THE ISSUE WOULD BE ED AGAST ME AND THAT I MIGHT REALLY H THE GLASS CEILG,” HE SAID. “BUT HAPPILY, THE ISSUE DID NOT MAKE WAV.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“THE IDF IS THE PEOPLE’S ARMY AND ENURAG ALL WHO WANT TO NTRIBUTE AND GROW,” AFEK ADD. “I WILL BE PLEASED IF MANY MORE WILL FOLLOW MY FOOTSTEPS.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ALL ISRAELIS SERVE A TWO-YEAR MIMUM ENLISTMENT THE ARY, WHICH BEGAN ADMTG GAY, LBIAN AND BISEXUAL SERVICE MEMBERS 1993. (UN 8200, ONE OF THE LARGT UNS THE ISRAELI ARMY, IS KNOWN TO HAVE A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF LGBT SOLDIERS.) IN 2013, THE FIRST TRANSGENR SERVICE MEMBER BEGAN SERVG OPENLY THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“I THK THAT THE CISNS WHICH WERE UNRTAKEN UNTIL NOW WERE BALANCED AND WELL-NSIRED AND THAT THEY MAKE POSSIBLE FOR ALL THOSE SERVG THE IDF TO FULLY SERVE,” SAID {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS

Even as gay, lbian, and bisexual Amerins have been able to serve eely sce the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" September 2011, a medil regulatory ban still prohibs transgenr ary service, forcg the timated 15, 000 transgenr soldiers currently servg the armed forc to rema closeted. ”All Israelis serve a two-year mimum enlistment the ary, which began admtg gay, lbian and bisexual service members 1993.

(JTA) — The mister holdg the untry’s purse strgs lls himself a “proud homophobe. “The majory of the gay muny Israel is feelg very unsafe, ” said Hila Peer, the chairwoman of Aguda-The Associatn for LGBTQ Equaly Israel. “You have at least an tentn to legislate laws that are dire for the gay muny.

Netanyahu and others his aln say they are mted to protectg gay rights, but the volatile polil suatn means the future is hard to predict.

ARMY’S ‘GAY SOLDIERS’ PHOTO WAS STAGED, IS MISLEADG

Israel is known as a gay haven the Middle East, and Tel Aviv is equently ced as one of the most gay-iendly ci the world, wh a Pri para that draws hundreds of thoands of revelers om Israel and abroad. A rarely enforced ban on homosexual relatns was taken off the books 1988, and the army began allowg openly gay service members 1993 — the same year the U. Armed forc adopted a policy permtg gay service members only if they remaed closeted.

Dpe the legal protectns, LGBTQ Israelis have long faced opposn om wh the haredi Orthodox sector, where rabbis veigh agast homosexualy and policians have vowed to n the untry acrdg to Orthodox terpretatns of Jewish law. The Relig Znist Party, one of three the Relig Znist Bloc, is led by Bezalel Smotrich, who has lled himself a “proud homophobe” and has envisned Israel as a theocracy.

He lled the ia of lettg medil provirs ny re to LGBTQ patients “unacceptable” and has appoted a close ally who is gay, Amir Ohana, as Knset speaker. “A Sephardi or a tradnal Jew, do you thk he r about gays? “I’m a fascist homophobe, but I’m a man of my word, ” he said.

ISRAEL PRENTS ITSELF AS HAVEN FOR GAY COMMUNY

“I won’t stone gays. LGBTQ Israelis are playg a ccial role the mountg anti-ernment protts, activatg a work that put some 100, 000 people the streets 2018 after Netanyahu voted agast a bill to allow gay upl to e surrogacy. We take a look at the celebrated gay scene Israel wh an eclectic variety of some of the most ntroversial and celebrated LGBT films wrten, directed and produced the untry.

Oriented (2012) Oriented is a fascatg documentary film about three gay Paltian iends their 20s livg life Tel Aviv.

The film is not only a morn tale of the trials and tribulatns of beg gay society, also documents the difficulti of beg gay for Paltian men and how the issue clash wh Islamic doctre.

JEWISH GAYS WRECK AMERIN CULTURE

Directed by Eytan Fox, this romantic film follows two gay soldiers the Israeli ary as they al wh daily life at the Israel-Lebanon borr. The film, a directorial but for Michael Mayer, portrays the polil plitns of an Israeli fallg love wh a Paltian the Wt Bank and the evable problems of homosexualy a nservative Mlim society. Male soldiers holdg hands IDF’s viral photograph are not a uple, only one is gay, and they both serve spokman’s un.

ISRAEL A MOL ON GAYS THE ARY

A picture of two male Israeli soldiers holdg hands, posted by Israel’s ary spokman and circulated wily on the web this week as part of gay pri month, was staged and is misleadg, The Tim of Israel tablished Tuday. The newly hip, multimedia-savvy IDF Spokperson’s Office posted Monday on s Facebook page a photo of two ostensibly gay soldiers, one seemg to belong to the Givati Briga and the other to the Artillery Corps, holdg hands and walkg on a cy street. In fact, the two soldiers the photo are not a uple, only one of the two is gay, and both the soldiers serve the IDF Spokperson’s Office.

The photo has garnered thoands of “lik” on Facebook and has been hailed by the Foreign Mistry as evince of the Israeli army’s unique tolerance toward homosexualy. Male homosexual sex was outlawed Israel until 1988, and the 1950s the IDF was the only official state stutn to try and jail soldiers for engagg such behavr, acrdg to the Israeli Natnal LGBT Task Force.

The IDF Spokperson’s Office lled the matter of homosexualy a “non-issue, ” sayg that “jt as there is no policy plac for blonds and bs, so too is there no special policy for gays.