"Gay drama in Holy City"
This year’s World Pride in Jerusalem faces controversy as an anti-Israel group have called for an international boycott of the event.
The Coalition to Boycott World Pride Jerusalem have support from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Queers Undermining Israeli Terrorism. QUIT’s website states:
“The theme of the event is "love without borders," which is particularly ironic given that this city was initially declared by the UN in 1947 to be an international zone.
“Israel occupied half of it in 1948, and the other half in 1967 and has annexed the entire city. Walls and soldiers form a very strong border that is often insurmountable to Palestinians, queer and straight”.
Diane Langford, Women’s Officer for the Palestine Solidarity Campaign said: “Jerusalem is such an appalling choice of venue, exactly the kind of endorsement the colonial power seeks, end the occupation, justice for Palestine, peace and justice and civil rights for LGBT Palestinians!"
Peter Tatchell of Outrage! was unimpressed with the Coalition’s philosophy, stating: “Boycotting oppressive Israeli institutions is justified, but boycotting a celebration of queer life, culture and human rights is a reactionary stance that plays into the hands of homophobes.
“A boycott of World Pride in Jerusalem would not aid the queer or Palestinian struggles. It would cause rejoicing by homophobic fundamentalists from the Christian, Judaist and Muslim faiths - all of whom want World Pride banned.”
It’s rare that religious leaders in the Holy City agree on any issue, but World Pride has done the impossible and led to a unification. Jewish, Christian and Islamic superiors have condemned the event, proving equally homophobic and amusingly dramatic.
"They are creating a deep and terrible sorrow that is unbearable," Shlomo Amar, Israel’s Sephardic chief rabbi said.
"We can’t permit anybody to come and make the Holy City dirty," declared Abdel Aziz Bukhari, a Sufi sheik.
Muslim cleric Abdel-Salem Menasra warned World Pride would end in disaster for the city. "I’m warning everybody, God will destroy Jerusalem together with the Jews, the Christians and the Muslims," he said.
Jerusalem WorldPride runs from August 6-12 2006.