Gay Paltians In Israel: The ‘Invisible Men’

Contents:

• HAMAS EXECUT PROMENT COMMANR AFTER ACCATNS OF GAY SEX
• HAMAS COMMANR, ACCED OF THEFT AND GAY SEX, IS KILLED BY HIS OWN
• HAMAS MANR ACCED OF GAY SEX IS KILLED BY HIS OWN
• 6 REASONS ‘PKWASHG’ ISRAEL ON GAY RIGHTS IS SO WRONG
• 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
• 13 UNTRI WHERE BEG GAY IS LEGALLY PUNISHABLE BY ATH

HAMAS EXECUT PROMENT COMMANR AFTER ACCATNS OF GAY SEX

The armed wg of Paltian ant group Hamas executed one of the group's leadg manrs after allegatns surfaced of gay sex and theft, has been revealed. Members of the Izz al-D al-Qassam Brigas shot Mahmoud Ishtiwi, 34, three tim the cht after they had taed him for a year, The New York Tim reported on announced that the man charge of a number of the group's tunnels ed for smugglg and surprise attacks had been executed for moral turpu, a Hamas term for homosexualy. The vtigatn nclud that the money Ishtiwi had stolen had been ed to pay the man for sexual relatns or to bribe him to keep Ishtiwi's Hamas learship was reportedly ncerned that if Ishtiwi was secretly gay—somethg he would have had to hi a nservative Islamic society—Israeli telligence uld have ed that to turn him to an rmant and extract val rmatn that might have rulted assassatns agast the group's had already been speculatn that he had provid Israel wh the ordat for the lotn of Mohammed Deif, Hamas's elive and secretive lear, rultg an assassatn attempt on Augt 20, 2014.

Last month, his former ras executed him wh three bullets to the a layer of sndal to the story, he was acced of moral turpu, by which Hamas meant homosexualy. Ishtiwi was gay, the officials surmised, perhaps he had given them rmatn exchange for keepg a secret that, if unvered, would have ma him an outst his rippled out that Mr.

A versn of this article appears prt on, Sectn A, Page 1 of the New York edn wh the headle: Acced of Theft and Gay Sex, Hamas Lear Is Killed by His Own. If Israeli telligence officials knew Ishtiwi was gay, the officials surmised, perhaps he had given them rmatn exchange for keepg a secret that, if unvered, would have ma him an outst his society.

HAMAS COMMANR, ACCED OF THEFT AND GAY SEX, IS KILLED BY HIS OWN

Before I married my first wife I told her, ‘Mom, I’m gay.

” Sami first knew he was gay at the age of 7. To be gay the “world’s largt open-air prison” has been a nstant stggle, he says. Whereas LGBTQ Paltians livg Israel or the Wt Bank have the opportuny to leave their nservative towns and villag to fd relatively safe spac Haifa, Tel Aviv-Jaffa or even Ramallah, Gazans are trapped what he lls a “homophobic society.

HAMAS MANR ACCED OF GAY SEX IS KILLED BY HIS OWN

“I want to be gay, I want to have a partner and be love, ” he says, stgglg to hold back tears. I have met many homosexuals Gaza onle. One of my bt iends was gay, ” he relat.

6 REASONS ‘PKWASHG’ ISRAEL ON GAY RIGHTS IS SO WRONG

Shortly before he mted suici, we sat down together and he asked me, ‘If I kill myself, will God five me for beg gay? Islam and Homosexualy: What Do the Koran Say? Beg Gay Gaza: Meetg Israelis on Datg Apps and Evadg Hamas The Real Opprsors of Gaza's Gay Communy “We work wh LGBTQ Paltians om the Wt Bank, but people om Gaza — ’s really hard to help them.

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

He won’t reveal where he went, orr to protect his inty, but adms was a shock to be a place where beg gay was not life-endangerg.

Outsi the Gaza Strip for the first time, he seized on the opportuny to party a gay club.

13 UNTRI WHERE BEG GAY IS LEGALLY PUNISHABLE BY ATH

It was time for him to cross back to Gaza, a place where the only gay people he saw growg up were the porn movi he watched on the fay puter the livg room. There were also the gay men he ocsnally saw the Hollywood-type movi he watched wh his parents.

He now liv Turkey as a “semi-openly” gay man. It wasn’t te, I don’t even thk they were gay. They asked me to be discreet so as not to tarnish our reputatn, ” he says, explag that most of his fay and iends already know he is gay.

“It feels like sh to be a gay woman Palte, ” says Rima (not her real name), who recently moved to Ramallah after growg up a more nservative part of the regn. Life is hard for everyone — but pecially women, and particularly gay women. It’s fely easier to be gay Ramallah; there are LGBTQ-iendly spac and bars.