SOL 35.2 | How Israel, Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah treat LGBTQ speaks volumes about what they are about

LGBTQ in Wartime: Israel or Hamas?

How regimes treat LGBTQ speaks volumes about what they are about. In Israel’s neighborhood, this definitely applies to Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas.

For those who’ve forgotten: Iran’s death penalty for same-sex relations is not only codified in law, it’s carried out on a regular basis. In Lebanon, the head of Hezbollah has called for all LGBTQ to be killed. Gaza? There Hamas hunts, tortures and even kills gays.

Our reality is the exact opposite here in Israel, where the LGBTQ community enjoys wide acceptance. This was reaffirmed shortly after the current war began in remarks made by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant:

“Our moral debt to the family of the bereaved is enormous, and we do not distinguish between religion, race, sexual orientation, or any other factors. The Defense Ministry interprets the laws of families of fallen soldiers as such that they also apply to same-sex couples.”

Within two weeks of that statement, the Knesset (parliament) broadened the Families of Fallen Soldiers Law to include the common-law partners of LGBTQ soldiers, officers, and reservists serving in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

While the IDF itself has recognized same-sex unions since 1997, the Knesset decision emphasizes the equality of all families of the fallen, guaranteeing that every grieving individual will receive the same financial, social and psychological support.

Speaking against the backdrop of the “LGBT in Battle” conference held here earlier this year, a representative of “The Aguda” (the Association for LGBTQ Equality in Israel, a civil society umbrella organization) left no doubt about how far we’ve come:

“It can be said to the IDF’s credit that it is one of the most liberal and progressive armies that exists at the moment, both in relation to women and in relation to LGBT people.”

Not everyone is aware of this, of course. That’s why our Foreign Ministry decided, as part its ongoing public diplomacy efforts, to recently dispatch three IDF fighters who are part of our LGBTQ community to the US. There, they worked hard to share their personal stories with as many people as possible.

Alongside war-related issues, the LGBTQ community in Israel continues to grow stronger; this trend has accelerated in the past few years. Activities by the Social Equality Ministry’s Division for LGBTQ Advancement, established in 2022, highlight this development.

Despite the budget cuts sustained by all government offices due to the war, the Ministry’s LGBTQ division has forged ahead with activities focused on its partnerships with around 100 local municipalities. Undaunted by the security reality, the division recently gathered its coordinators to LGBTQ communities in the north to share what’s working and improve on what isn’t.

Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana is by far the most prominent individual associated with Israel’s political arena in the LGBTQ context. Nevertheless, strides made at the local level have become increasingly noticeable.

LGBTQ candidates competed in no less than 15 municipalities in this past February’s local elections. This upward trend can be expected to continue, and to fan out across the country. Indeed, Tel Aviv is no longer the undisputed leader of Israel’s gay-friendly cities; in 2023, that title went to neighboring Ramat Gan for the second year in a row.

The fact that advances have been made at the local level is borne out by the latest annual report by “The Aguda” (which also points to an increase in homophobic incidents reported).

The document indicates that 82.5% of Israeli municipalities implemented a budgeted LGBTQ-community strategy in 2023, a significant increase from 69% the previous year. Furthermore, 81% of municipalities employed educational psychologists responsible for the LGBTQ community, up from 44% in 2022; and 75% had LGBTQ-specific social workers, an improvement from 63% in 2022 (the Social Affairs Ministry runs training courses specifically for this purpose).

Positive developments in the health sphere have joined those in the military and political arenas. Major government hospitals Sheba Medical Center (located in Ramat Gan) and Tel Aviv’s Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov) have been running LGBTQ clinics for some time now. The government-regulated health maintenance organizations also offer LGBTQ-specific medical services provided by specially trained staff.

This post would be remiss if it didn’t also mention action by the judicial branch. To note one such measure: the National Labor Court recently decided that according to the National Insurance Law, an unemployed man living with another man as a family can be considered a ‘homemaker’ under the law. This ruling gives men the same social and economic rights enjoyed by similarly defined women.

Bottom line: those still accusing Israel of pinkwashing should’ve refocused their attention years ago on Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas.

Source: timesofisrael.com, Yehuda Yaakov, August 14, 2024. A 35-year Israeli diplomacy veteran, Ambassador Yehuda Yaakov has directed the Foreign Ministry's Social Impact Policy unit since launching it in 2019.

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