LGBT Rights In Israel
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Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in Israel are considered the most developed in the
Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
. Although same-sex sexual activity was legalized in 1988, the former law against sodomy had not been enforced since a court decision in 1963.
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
became the first country in Asia to recognize
unregistered cohabitation Unregistered cohabitation is a legal status (sometimes ''de facto'') given to same-sex or opposite-sex couples in certain jurisdictions. They may be similar to common-law marriages. More specifically, unregistered cohabitation may refer to: * ...
between same-sex couples, making it the first country in Asia to recognize same-sex unions in any capacity. Although
same-sex marriages Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting ...
are not performed in the country (as it does not have civil non-religious marriages), Israel recognizes same-sex marriages performed elsewhere. Discrimination on the grounds of
sexual orientation Sexual orientation is an enduring pattern of romantic or sexual attraction (or a combination of these) to persons of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender. These attractions are generall ...
was prohibited in 1992. Same-sex couples are allowed to jointly adopt, following a landmark court decision in 2008. Previously, stepchild adoption, as well as limited co-guardianship rights for non-biological parents, were permitted.
LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is a ...
people are also allowed to serve openly in the military.
Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...
was referred to by the Calgary Herald as one of the most gay-friendly cities in the world, famous for its annual
Pride parade A pride parade (also known as pride march, pride event, or pride festival) is an outdoor event celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer culture, queer (LGBTQ) social and self-acceptance, achievements, LGBT rights by country o ...
and gay beach, earning it the nickname "the gay capital of the Middle East" by '' Out'' magazine. According to users of the website GayCities, it was ranked as the best gay city in 2011, despite reports of some anti-LGBT violence during the 2000s, which were criticized by Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (; ; born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who served as the ninth prime minister of Israel from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2009 to 2021. He is currently serving as Leader of the Opposition and Chairman of ...
and President
Shimon Peres Shimon Peres (; he, שמעון פרס ; born Szymon Perski; 2 August 1923 – 28 September 2016) was an Israeli politician who served as the eighth prime minister of Israel from 1984 to 1986 and from 1995 to 1996 and as the ninth president of ...
. A monument dedicated to the gay victims of the Holocaust was erected in Tel Aviv in 2014.
Opinion poll An opinion poll, often simply referred to as a survey or a poll (although strictly a poll is an actual election) is a human research survey of public opinion from a particular sample. Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions ...
s have found that a majority of Israelis support the legalization of
same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same Legal sex and gender, sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being ...
, as well as adoption and surrogacy rights for same-sex couples. During International Pride Month on 21 June 2020,
Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality ( he, עיריית תל אביב-יפו) is the arm of local government responsible for the administration of the Israeli city of Tel Aviv-Yafo. Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality handles such municipal affairs as education, cu ...
announced that same-sex couples would have exactly the same rights as opposite-sex marriages there, with this being provided by the municipality. Marriages inside the municipality will be legally recognized as others.


Same-sex sexual activity

The State of Israel inherited the '' Buggery Act of 1533'' as part of the British Mandate's legal code. There is no known record that it was ever enforced against homosexual acts that took place between consenting adults in private in the civilian judicial system. In certain cases, defendants were found guilty of "sodomy" (which according to Israeli law included
oral sex Oral sex, sometimes referred to as oral intercourse, is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a person by another person using the mouth (including the lips, tongue, or teeth) and the throat. Cunnilingus is oral sex per ...
as well), apparently by way of plea bargains: those defendants had been indicted for more serious sexual offenses, and homosexuality was also used as a case of "
aggravating circumstances Aggravation, in law, is "any circumstance attending the commission of a crime or tort which increases its guilt or enormity or adds to its injurious consequences, but which is above and beyond the essential constituents of the crime or tort itself. ...
" for other sexual offenses. However, there were several cases of soldiers tried for homosexual acts in military courts. In 1953, the
Attorney General of Israel The attorney general of Israel ( he, היועץ המשפטי לממשלה, ''Ha-Yo'etz Ha-Mishpati La-Memshala'', lit. ''Legal Advisor to the Government'') heads the legal system of the executive branch and the public prosecution of the state. ...
issued a directive ordering the police to refrain from enforcing the law against homosexual acts between consenting adults. The
Israeli Supreme Court The Supreme Court (, ''Beit HaMishpat HaElyon''; ar, المحكمة العليا) is the Supreme court, highest court in Israel. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all other courts, and in some cases original jurisdiction. The Supreme C ...
likewise ruled in 1963 that the law should not be applied to acts between consenting adults in private. The ban on consensual same-sex sexual acts was formally repealed by the
Knesset The Knesset ( he, הַכְּנֶסֶת ; "gathering" or "assembly") is the unicameral legislature of Israel. As the supreme state body, the Knesset is sovereign and thus has complete control of the entirety of the Israeli government (with ...
in 1988. The
age of consent The age of consent is the age at which a person is considered to be legally competent to consent to sexual acts. Consequently, an adult who engages in sexual activity with a person younger than the age of consent is unable to legally claim ...
for both homosexual and heterosexual acts is 16 years of age.


Recognition of same-sex relationships

Between 1994 and 2007, numerous rights were granted to Israeli same-sex couples.
Same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same Legal sex and gender, sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being ...
cannot legally be performed in Israel. Israeli law allows same-sex marriages performed elsewhere to be registered, but not recognized based upon a 2006 Israeli Supreme Court decision which stated:
Before we conclude, let us reemphasize what it is that we are deciding today, and what it is that we are not deciding today. We are deciding that within the context of the status of the population registry as a recorder of statistics, the registration official should register in the population register what is implied by the public certificate that is presented to him by the petitioners, according to which the petitioners are married and in view of the role of the registration official as a collector of statistical material for the purpose of managing the registry...We are not deciding that marriage between persons of the same sex is recognized in Israel; we are not recognizing a new status of such marriages; we are not adopting any position with regard to recognition in Israel of marriages between persons of the same sex that take place outside Israel (whether between Israeli residents or between persons who are not Israeli residents).
Civil marriage A civil marriage is a marriage performed, recorded, and recognized by a government official. Such a marriage may be performed by a religion, religious body and recognized by the state, or it may be entirely secular. History Every country maintai ...
does not exist in Israel for heterosexual couples either (except where both heterosexual spouses do not belong to any of the recognized religious communities in the country), and therefore only a marriage sanctioned by the small number of officially recognized religious authorities can take place within Israel. (This restriction forces not only same-sex couples, but also all mixed-religion heterosexual couples and any person who wishes a non-religious marriage, to marry outside the country.) The State of Israel allows foreign partners of its homosexual
citizenry Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection". Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and ...
to receive residency permits. The Civil Service Commission extends spousal benefits and pensions to the partners of homosexual employees. The Israeli State Attorney's Office has extended the spousal exemption from property-transfer taxes to same-sex couples. Israel's Attorney General has granted legal recognition to same-sex couples in financial and other business matters.
Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...
Meni Mazuz said the couples will be treated the same as common-law spouses, recognizing them as legal units for tax, real estate, and financial purposes. Mazuz made his decision by refusing to appeal a district court ruling in an inheritance case that recognized the legality of a same-sex union, his office said in a statement. Mazuz did differentiate, however, between recognizing same-sex unions for financial and practical purposes, as he did, and changing the law to officially sanction the unions, which would be a matter for Parliament, according to the statement. The city of
Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...
recognizes unmarried couples, including gays and lesbians, as family units and grants them discounts for
municipal services Municipal services or city services refer to basic services that residents of a city expect to the city government to provide in exchange for the taxes which citizens pay. Basic city services may include sanitation (both sewer and refuse), wate ...
. Under the bylaw, unmarried couples qualify for the same discounts on daycare and the use of swimming pools, sports facilities, and other city-sponsored activities that married couples enjoy. On 29 January 2007, following a Supreme Court ruling ordering them to do so, Jerusalem registered its first same-sex couple, Avi and Binyamin Rose. In 2010, Israel's marriage law was amended with the passage of the ''Civil Union Law for Citizens with no Religious Affiliation, 2010'', allowing an opposite-sex couple to form a
civil union A civil union (also known as a civil partnership) is a legally recognized arrangement similar to marriage, created primarily as a means to provide recognition in law for same-sex couples. Civil unions grant some or all of the rights of marriage ...
in Israel if they are both registered as officially not belonging to any religion. There have been five failed legislative attempts in the
Knesset The Knesset ( he, הַכְּנֶסֶת ; "gathering" or "assembly") is the unicameral legislature of Israel. As the supreme state body, the Knesset is sovereign and thus has complete control of the entirety of the Israeli government (with ...
to recognise same-sex unions. The first attempt was a civil marriage bill, which included provisions for same-sex marriages, introduced by
Meretz Meretz ( he, מֶרֶצ, ) is a left-wing political party in Israel. The party was formed in 1992 by the merger of Ratz, Mapam and Shinui, and was at its peak between 1992 and 1996 when it had 12 seats. It currently has no seats in the Knesset ...
. The bill was rejected in May 2012 in a 39 to 11 vote, with 70 not attending. The second and third attempts were two similar bills that would have provided for
civil union A civil union (also known as a civil partnership) is a legally recognized arrangement similar to marriage, created primarily as a means to provide recognition in law for same-sex couples. Civil unions grant some or all of the rights of marriage ...
s in Israel for both opposite-sex and same-sex couples; one introduced by
Hatnuah Hatnua ( he, הַתְּנוּעָה, lit=''The Movement'') was a liberal political party in Israel formed by former Israeli Foreign Minister and Vice Prime Minister Tzipi Livni to present an alternative to voters frustrated by the stalemate in th ...
, and the other by
Yesh Atid Yesh Atid ( he, יֵשׁ עָתִיד, , There Is a Future) is a liberal political party in Israel. Founded by Yair Lapid in 2012, it seeks to represent what it considers the centre of Israeli society: the secular middle class. It focuses prima ...
. At the same time,
Meretz Meretz ( he, מֶרֶצ, ) is a left-wing political party in Israel. The party was formed in 1992 by the merger of Ratz, Mapam and Shinui, and was at its peak between 1992 and 1996 when it had 12 seats. It currently has no seats in the Knesset ...
proposed a civil marriage bill, which included provisions for same-sex marriages. On 8 July 2015, the Knesset rejected the
Meretz Meretz ( he, מֶרֶצ, ) is a left-wing political party in Israel. The party was formed in 1992 by the merger of Ratz, Mapam and Shinui, and was at its peak between 1992 and 1996 when it had 12 seats. It currently has no seats in the Knesset ...
and Yesh Atid bills, in a 39-50 vote, while Hatnuah's bill was rejected on 22 February 2016 in a 40-47 vote. In June 2018, the Knesset rejected a same-sex marriage bill introduced by The Zionist Union. The bill failed by just three votes, 39-42. In June 2020, it was reported that Tel Aviv will explicitly recognize both
civil unions A civil union (also known as a civil partnership) is a legally recognized arrangement similar to marriage, created primarily as a means to provide recognition in law for same-sex couples. Civil unions grant some or all of the rights of marriage ...
and
same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same Legal sex and gender, sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being ...
from outside
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
. In November 2020, it was also reported that
Ramat Gan Ramat Gan ( he, רָמַת גַּן or , ) is a city in the Tel Aviv District of Israel, located east of the municipality of Tel Aviv and part of the Tel Aviv metropolitan area. It is home to one of the world's major diamond exchanges, and many ...
also will explicitly recognize both civil unions and same-sex marriage from outside Israel.


Adoption and parenting

Adoption by LGBT parents had only been permitted in certain restricted situations, notably when a previous connection exists between the adopting parent and the child, such as being a family member or a foster child. On 10 January 2005, the
Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
ruled that a lesbian couple can legally
adopt Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another, usually a child, from that person's biological or legal parent or parents. Legal adoptions permanently transfer all rights and responsibilities, along with filiation, from ...
each other's children. During the past 15 years that Tal and Avital Jarus-Hakak had lived together, they had a total of three children. The couple petitioned the Tel Aviv Family Court for the right to formally adopt each other's children in 1997, but the request was rejected because Israel's adoption law had no provisions for same-sex couples. The couple appealed. While they failed to get a favorable ruling in the Tel Aviv District Court, the Supreme Court accepted the case. Citing Article 25 of the ''Adoption of Children Law of 1981'' ( he, חוק אימוץ ילדים, תשמ"א-1981;
Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
: ), the Jarus-Hakaks argued that the law allows for "special circumstances" for adoption when it is for the good of the child, even if the child's parents are still alive. The only condition is that the person seeking to adopt be single. The couple argued that since the state does not recognize same-sex marriage, they are single by law. They added that adoption was in the children's best interest if one of their natural mothers should die. The Supreme Court of Israel agreed, ruling 7–2 in favor of the couple. Following the Supreme Court ruling, the couple was allowed to adopt each other's biological children on 12 February 2006. Lesbian couples can also legally gain access to
IVF In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a process of fertilisation where an egg is combined with sperm in vitro ("in glass"). The process involves monitoring and stimulating an individual's ovulatory process, removing an ovum or ova (egg or eggs) f ...
and assisted insemination. In February 2008, a court ruled that same-sex couples are now permitted to adopt a child even if that child is not biologically related to either parent.AG okays wider adoption rights for same-sex couples
, By Yuval Yoaz, 12 February 2008.
This marked a watershed in granting equal rights to gay people in Israel.
isRealli IsRealli'is the official blog of the State of Israel and the first official blog to ever be started by a government.
, the official, but now defunct, blog of the State of Israel, frequently published updates on gay adoption news in Israel. On 10 March 2009, the Tel Aviv Family Court ruled that former Knesset member
Uzi Even Uzi Even ( he, עוזי אבן, born 18 October 1940) is an Israeli professor emeritus of physical chemistry at Tel Aviv University and a former politician well known for being the first openly gay member of the Knesset (the Israeli Parliament) ...
and his partner, Amit Kama, could legally adopt their 30-year-old foster son, Yossi, making them the first same-sex male couple in Israel whose right of adoption was legally acknowledged. On 28 January 2014, the Israel High Court of Justice ruled in favor of a May 2013 modification by Israel Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein and stated that same-sex couples in Israel could easily adopt through
surrogacy Surrogacy is an arrangement, often supported by a legal agreement, whereby a woman agrees to delivery/labour for another person or people, who will become the child's parent(s) after birth. People may seek a surrogacy arrangement when pregnan ...
so long as the biological parent in the same-sex relationship was willing to take a paternity test or present highly convincing alternative medical and legal evidence of paternity. Prior to the 2013 modification, both a paternity test by the biological parent and a lengthy legal process by the non-biological parent were required in order for a joint adoption to take place for same-sex couples participating in surrogacy. This ruling was further enhanced in August 2016 when the Tel Aviv Family Court ruled that Israeli same-sex couples could adopt through surrogacy from individuals residing in either Israel or from other countries. In late August 2017, the Israeli Government announced that it no longer opposes same-sex adoption and that new criteria for adoption would be enacted. Under the new criteria, the potential parents can legally adopt a child, regardless of their sexual orientation; opposite-sex and same-sex couples being given equal treatment. Previously, same-sex couples could only adopt children opposite-sex couples did not want to adopt. From 2008 to 2017, only 3 same-sex couples (out of 550 applicants) were able to adopt, compared to 1,000 opposite-sex adoptions. According to a poll conducted earlier in August 2017, 60% of Israelis supported adoption rights for same-sex couples, while 33% were against. As of 2019, however, the Justice Minister has blocked the criteria. Israeli surrogacy law allows opposite-sex couples to sign a surrogacy agreement with a surrogate mother. In July 2018, the Knesset passed a bill expending surrogacy rights to single women, but rejected an amendment that would have included same-sex couples. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supported the amendment, but later voted against it due to objections from Orthodox groups. Subsequently, an estimated 100,000 people marched in Tel Aviv in protest. The protests also received support from multiple companies, including
Apple Inc. Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, United States. Apple is the largest technology company by revenue (totaling in 2021) and, as of June 2022, is the world's biggest company ...
,
Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washing ...
,
Israir Airlines Israir Airlines Ltd., more commonly referred to as Israir, is an Israeli airline headquartered in Tel Aviv. It operates domestic scheduled and air taxi flights from Ben Gurion International Airport, Ramon Airport, and Haifa Airport as well as inte ...
and many more, and an opinion poll conducted in July 2018 found that 57% of Israelis were in favour of surrogacy for same-sex couples. Despite the passage of the law, several court rulings have protected surrogacy rights for same-sex couples. In February 2020, the Israeli Supreme Court unanimously ruled that same-sex couples should be given access to surrogacy, holding that the current law harms the "right to equality" and gave the state one year to amend the existing legislation. In July 2018, the Israeli High Court proposed to make it easier for children raised by same-sex couples to be registered on official documents with the names of both their parents. Under the proposal, the non-biological parent would have to send a notice to the Interior Ministry. However, the Israeli Government rejected this measure, and insisted that same-sex couples should receive a court order if they wish to register their child(ren) with both their names. In December 2018, the
High Court of Justice The High Court of Justice in London, known properly as His Majesty's High Court of Justice in England, together with the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, are the Courts of England and Wales, Senior Cou ...
ruled that same-sex parents have the right to be listed on their child(ren)'s birth certificates. In a landmark case, the top court ruled that the
Interior Ministry An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs. Lists of current ministries of internal affairs Named "ministry" * Ministry ...
cannot refuse this right based on the parent's sexual orientation. The ruling came after two gay men adopted a son, then tried to list both their names on his birth certificate, but government officials refused to do so. Supreme Court Justice
Neal Hendel Neal Hendel ( b. 27 April 1952) is an American-born Israeli judge. He was the Deputy President of the Supreme Court of Israel. Biography Neal Hendel was born in the United States. He attended high school at the Yeshivah of Flatbush. After gradua ...
said in the decision:
The principle of "the good of the child" argues for the recording of his entire family unit, and doesn't permit us to limit ourselves to only one of his parents in the birth certificate…. The contrast with the treatment of a child adopted by a heterosexual couple, who has the right to have both adopted parents written in a birth certificate, is a contrast that applies both to the child and to the parents... It is unreasonable for the couple to be egallyrecognized as parents but for the certificate not to give expression to that fact.
On 11 July 2021, the Israeli High Court ruled that the amendment to the Surrogacy Law enacted in 2018, which discriminates against same-sex couples, will be amended by a High Court order, and will enter into force within six months. In January 2022, allowing same-sex couples and singles to legally access surrogacy goes into legal effect.


Gender identity and expression

Treatment for
gender dysphoria Gender dysphoria (GD) is the distress a person experiences due to a mismatch between their gender identitytheir personal sense of their own genderand their sex assigned at birth. The diagnostic label gender identity disorder (GID) was used until ...
in Israel can be paid for using the country's public health insurance system if a patient receives approval by the Committee for Sex Reassignment operating out of
Sheba Medical Center Chaim Sheba Medical Center at Tel HaShomer ( he, המרכז הרפואי ע"ש חיים שיבא – תל השומר), also Tel HaShomer Hospital, is the largest hospital in Israel, located in the Tel Aviv District city of Ramat Gan at Tel HaShome ...
in
Tel HaShomer Tel HaShomer ( he, תֵּל הַשּׁוֹמֵר, ''lit.'' Hill of the Guardsman) or Kiryat Krinitzi is a neighborhood in Ramat Gan, Israel. It is bordered to the north by Kiryat Ono, to the east by Yehud, and to the south by Or Yehuda. A major Isr ...
, which consists of an
endocrinologist Endocrinology (from ''endocrine'' + '' -ology'') is a branch of biology and medicine dealing with the endocrine system, its diseases, and its specific secretions known as hormones. It is also concerned with the integration of developmental events ...
, a
urologist Urology (from Greek οὖρον ''ouron'' "urine" and ''-logia'' "study of"), also known as genitourinary surgery, is the branch of medicine that focuses on surgical and medical diseases of the urinary-tract system and the reproductive organ ...
, and a
plastic surgeon Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty involving the restoration, reconstruction or alteration of the human body. It can be divided into two main categories: reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery. Reconstructive surgery includes craniof ...
and is organized by the
Health Ministry A health department or health ministry is a part of government which focuses on issues related to the general health of the citizenry. Subnational entity, Subnational entities, such as State (administrative division), states, county, counties an ...
. All
sex reassignment surgery Gender-affirming surgery (GAS) is a surgical procedure, or series of procedures, that alters a transgender or transsexual person's physical appearance and sexual characteristics to resemble those associated with their identified gender, and alle ...
operations in Israel are furthermore performed by Dr. Haim Kaplan at Sheba Medical Center under this committee's approval. However, many
transgender A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through tr ...
Israelis have had trouble getting approval for treatment by this committee due to their stringent opinions on gender dysphoria. Thus, many pay out of pocket for
hormone replacement therapy Hormone replacement therapy (HRT), also known as menopausal hormone therapy or postmenopausal hormone therapy, is a form of hormone therapy used to treat symptoms associated with female menopause. These symptoms can include hot flashes, vaginal ...
and/or go overseas for sex reassignment surgery. A bill was introduced to the
Knesset The Knesset ( he, הַכְּנֶסֶת ; "gathering" or "assembly") is the unicameral legislature of Israel. As the supreme state body, the Knesset is sovereign and thus has complete control of the entirety of the Israeli government (with ...
in June 2013 to eliminate gender markers on
National Identity Cards An identity document (also called ID or colloquially as papers) is any document that may be used to prove a person's identity. If issued in a small, standard credit card size form, it is usually called an identity card (IC, ID card, citizen ca ...
, but it did not pass. Since 2015, the Health Ministry has allowed transgender people to change legal gender without undergoing sex reassignment surgery or a sex change operation.


Military service

There were several cases of soldiers being tried for homosexual acts until decisions by the Israeli Supreme Court and Attorney General prohibited sodomy laws from being enforced against consensual acts between adults. In 1956, the
Military Court of Appeals The Israeli Military Court of Appeals is the supreme military court of the Israel Defense Forces. It considers and judges over appeals submitted by the Military Advocate General which challenge decisions rendered by the District Military Tribunals: ...
heard a case of two male soldiers who had been sentenced to a year in prison for consensual sexual activity, and downgraded the sentences to one day in prison for one of them and 70 days for the one ruled to have instigated the encounter after accepting the testimony of a psychologist, Dr. Skali Avraham, that homosexual behavior was deviant but not criminal. In 1977, the
Military Advocate General The Military Advocate General (MAG Corps') ( he, הפרקליטות הצבאית, ''HaParklitut HaTzva'it'') is responsible for implementing the rule of law within the Israel Defense Forces. The unit's objectives include integrating the rule of l ...
, Brigadier General Zvi Inbar, issued a set of directives – "The Trying of Homosexual Soldiers" – to all military prosecutors, instructing them to only file charges against soldiers who committed homosexual acts if: one of the parties involved was a minor, the sex was non-consensual, one of the parties was unconscious, the sex was conducted in public, or one of the soldiers was under the command of the other. In 1983, the IDF adopted a policy that gay personnel would not be limited or discharged solely based on their sexual orientation, but it did prohibit gay service members from taking intelligence positions, other jobs requiring a top-secret clearance, or serving in elite combat units. Officers were also required to refer known gay soldiers for a psychological evaluation to determine whether they posed any security risks or were mentally unfit for service, though commanders did sometimes disregard this policy. In 1993, the IDF formally opened the draft to all regardless of sexual orientation. In 1998, the IDF ceased to link sexual orientation to security clearances and rescinded a standing order that required commanding officers to report gay soldiers for evaluation.
Openly gay Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBT people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity. Framed and debated as a privacy issue, coming out of ...
, lesbian and bisexual soldiers serve without hindrance in all branches of the military. Discrimination against gay, lesbian and bisexual soldiers in recruitment, placement and promotion is prohibited in Israel. Harassment on the grounds of sexual orientation is also prohibited in the Israeli military. The military recognizes same-sex couples, including widows and widowers of the same sex. Soldiers are also allowed to participate in gay
pride parade A pride parade (also known as pride march, pride event, or pride festival) is an outdoor event celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer culture, queer (LGBTQ) social and self-acceptance, achievements, LGBT rights by country o ...
s. The
Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the Israel, State of Israel. It consists of three servic ...
currently does not consider
gender dysphoria Gender dysphoria (GD) is the distress a person experiences due to a mismatch between their gender identitytheir personal sense of their own genderand their sex assigned at birth. The diagnostic label gender identity disorder (GID) was used until ...
to be a disqualifying condition for service. Furthermore, the IDF considers certain transition-specific medical treatment (
hormone replacement therapy Hormone replacement therapy (HRT), also known as menopausal hormone therapy or postmenopausal hormone therapy, is a form of hormone therapy used to treat symptoms associated with female menopause. These symptoms can include hot flashes, vaginal ...
and
sex reassignment surgery Gender-affirming surgery (GAS) is a surgical procedure, or series of procedures, that alters a transgender or transsexual person's physical appearance and sexual characteristics to resemble those associated with their identified gender, and alle ...
) and
counseling Counseling is the professional guidance of the individual by utilizing psychological methods especially in collecting case history data, using various techniques of the personal interview, and testing interests and aptitudes. This is a list of co ...
to be medically necessary for those diagnosed with
transsexualism Transsexual people experience a gender identity that is inconsistent with their assigned sex, and desire to permanently transition to the sex or gender with which they identify, usually seeking medical assistance (including sex reassignment ...
and thus pays for said treatments. The IDF also determines gender specific army regulations (length of service, which gender to be housed with, whether they are to wear a male or female uniform, etc.) on a case-by-case basis for its
transgender A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through tr ...
soldiers. However, given that Israeli law makes it difficult for its transsexuals to begin transition until they reach 18, the draft age, and does not normally allow for sex reassignment surgery to be performed before the age of 21, so far the only person who underwent surgery while serving is Shachar Erez, the first openly transgender person to become an officer. Furthermore, many draftees diagnosed with gender dysphoria can receive exemption from military service at their own request. Officially, the IDF policy does not prohibit
intersex Intersex people are individuals born with any of several sex characteristics including chromosome patterns, gonads, or genitals that, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, "do not fit typical bina ...
persons from service.


LGBT immigration to Israel and the Law of Return

On 10 June 2011, the ''
Law of Return The Law of Return ( he, חֹוק הַשְׁבוּת, ''ḥok ha-shvūt'') is an Israeli law, passed on 5 July 1950, which gives Jews, people with one or more Jewish grandparent, and their spouses the right to relocate to Israel and acquire Isra ...
'' was tested when a gay male couple, one Jewish and one Catholic, made Aliyah to Israel. This couple was the first same-sex, different-religion married couple to request joint Aliyah status, although opposite-sex married couples of opposite religions receive joint Aliyah as a matter of course. The Jewish man quickly received citizenship but the decision of citizenship for his husband was delayed by the Ministry of the Interior despite the clause in the law saying the spouse of the Jewish immigrant must also be granted citizenship. On 10 August 2011, the Ministry of the Interior granted citizenship to the non-Jewish husband as required by the ''Law of Return''. In 2014, Interior Minister Gidon Sa'ar officially decided that, according to the ''Law of Return'', Jews in same-sex relationships married abroad wishing to immigrate to Israel can do so—even if their partners are not Jewish—and both they and their partners will receive Israeli citizenship. In December 2016,
Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...
Avichai Mandelblit Avichai Mandelblit ( he, אביחי מנדלבליט; born 29 July 1963) is an Israeli jurist who served as the Attorney General of Israel from 2016 to 2022. Mandelblit had a long career in the Israel Defense Forces legal system, eventually serv ...
issued an instruction to Israel's Interior Ministry to consider applications for citizenship by same-sex and opposite-sex couples equally under the same terms. The same-sex spouse of an Israeli citizen will now be able to claim Israeli citizenship at the same speed as an opposite-sex spouse. Previously, same-sex couples had to wait up to seven years, and would generally only be granted permanent residency rather than citizenship. The process was far quicker for opposite-sex couples.Israel is to begin recognising same-sex marriage as an equal route to citizenship
Pink News
The decision came in response to a lawsuit filed before the High Court of Justice by the Gay Fathers Association.


Discrimination protections

LGBT couples in Israel have the same pension, inheritance and medical rights as heterosexual couples. In 1992, legislation was passed into law to prohibit
employment discrimination Employment discrimination is a form of illegal discrimination in the workplace based on legally protected characteristics. In the U.S., federal anti-discrimination law prohibits discrimination by employers against employees based on age, race, g ...
on the basis of
sexual orientation Sexual orientation is an enduring pattern of romantic or sexual attraction (or a combination of these) to persons of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender. These attractions are generall ...
, with some exemptions for religious organizations. In 1997, an amendment was added to the nation's ''Libel and Slander Law''. The amendment broadened the prohibition of uttering and publishing defamation and slander, motivated by the sexual orientation of a person. Moreover, the law specifies that every violent crime, motivated by sexual orientation, shall be considered a
hate crime A hate crime (also known as a bias-motivated crime or bias crime) is a prejudice-motivated crime which occurs when a perpetrator targets a victim because of their membership (or perceived membership) of a certain social group or racial demograph ...
, doubling the punishment. The ''
Prohibition of Discrimination in Products, Services and Entry into Places of Entertainment and Public Places Law, 2000 Prohibition of Discrimination in Products, Services and Entry into Places of Entertainment and Public Places Law is an Israeli law enacted in 2000, which prohibits discrimination on the part of those who provide products, public services or operate ...
'' ( he, חוק איסור הפליה במוצרים, בשירותים ובכניסה למקומות בידור ולמקומות ציבוריים;
Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
: ) prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation, among others, on the part of those who provide products, public services or operate public places. Since 2014, LGBT youth have been protected at different schools around the country. In April 2020, the Beersheba Magistrate's Court ruled that a local print shop must compensate an LGBT rights group after it refused to print its posters. The court held that "When their beliefs conflict with a necessity of providing service to all in a public space, the last value holds superior".


Conversion therapy

In October 2014, the Ministry of Health issued a statement announcing that it considers conversion therapy to "create false impressions of scientific recognition even though there is no scientific evidence that it is at all successful. It may also cause harm to the individual." The Ministry created a complaints committee to investigate allegations of conversion therapy by mental health professionals. According to February 2017 reports, none of the 20 complaints filed had been dealt with by the committee. The committee is supposed to convene monthly. Several MKs, namely
Yael German Yael German ( he, יעל גרמן, born 4 August 1947) is an Israeli politician and diplomat who served as a member of the Knesset for Yesh Atid and the Blue and White alliance between 2013 and 2020. She was Minister of Health between 2013 and ...
and Eyal Ben-Reuven, have called the committee "dysfunctional". In February 2016, the
Knesset The Knesset ( he, הַכְּנֶסֶת ; "gathering" or "assembly") is the unicameral legislature of Israel. As the supreme state body, the Knesset is sovereign and thus has complete control of the entirety of the Israeli government (with ...
rejected a bill introduced by former Health Minister Yael German that would have banned conversion therapy in Israel for minors. The bill was rejected 37-45. In January 2019, the
Israel Medical Association Israel Medical Association (IMA), is a professional association of physicians in Israel. History The association traces its origins to the ''Hebrew Medicinal Society for Jaffa and the Jaffa District'', founded in 1912, which later became the ''Heb ...
, which represents about 90% of all doctors in Israel, explicitly banned all its members from performing any conversion therapy on patients. In July 2019, interim Minister of Education
Rafi Peretz Rafael "Rafi" Peretz (; born 7 January 1956) is an Israeli Orthodox rabbi and politician. A former military officer and helicopter pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its d ...
attracted criticism after he endorsed the pseudoscientific practice and claimed to have personally performed such therapies. Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (; ; born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who served as the ninth prime minister of Israel from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2009 to 2021. He is currently serving as Leader of the Opposition and Chairman of ...
rejected Peretz's comments as unacceptable, saying they "do not represent isgovernment's position" and that " emade it clear to him that the Israeli educational system will continue to accept all Jewish children whoever they are and without any difference based on sexual orientation." Thousands of Israeli teachers signed a petition demanding Perez's dismissal, and more than a thousand people protested his comments in Tel Aviv and in Peretz's hometown calling for his resignation, with the presence of former Israeli Prime Minister
Ehud Barak Ehud Barak ( he-a, אֵהוּד בָּרָק, Ehud_barak.ogg, link=yes, born Ehud Brog; 12 February 1942) is an Israeli general and politician who served as the tenth prime minister from 1999 to 2001. He was leader of the Labor Party until Jan ...
. Days later, Peretz backtracked from his comments, calling conversion therapy "inappropriate", but added that "individuals with a homosexual orientation have the right to receive professional help". Following his comments, hundreds of LGBT Israelis recounted their "painful" and "destructive" experiences with conversion therapy. Several conversion therapy advocates and licensed professionals have moved to Israel from the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, due to a growing number of bans on the
pseudoscientific Pseudoscience consists of statements, beliefs, or practices that claim to be both scientific and factual but are incompatible with the scientific method. Pseudoscience is often characterized by contradictory, exaggerated or unfalsifiable claim ...
practice there. The Israel Psychological Association opposes conversion therapy. In July 2019, an opinion published in ''
Haaretz ''Haaretz'' ( , originally ''Ḥadshot Haaretz'' – , ) is an Israeli newspaper. It was founded in 1918, making it the longest running newspaper currently in print in Israel, and is now published in both Hebrew and English in the Berliner f ...
'' called for an outright legal ban on the practice. In July 2020, Israeli MP's passed a bill to begin the process to outlaw conversion therapy, being the first Middle East country to do so. The bill was passed as two of the main coalition parties joined the opposition in supporting it. It must pass two more approvals to become a new law.


Blood donation

Since 1 June 2017, gay and bisexual men in Israel have been allowed to legally donate blood following a one-year deferral period. However, no deferral was in place for lesbians or bisexual women. In January 2018, the Health Ministry approved a pilot allowing gay and bisexual men to donate blood, regardless of when they last had sex. From October 2021, gay and bisexual men can donate blood, regardless of when they last had sex.


Other court rulings

* The
Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
ruled on 30 November 1994 that the partner of a gay employee at
El Al El Al Israel Airlines Ltd. (, he, אל על נתיבי אויר לישראל בע״מ), trading as El Al (Hebrew: , "Upwards", "To the Skies" or "Skywards", stylized as ELAL; ar, إل-عال), is the flag carrier of Israel. Since its inaugural ...
, Israel's national airline, is entitled to free airline tickets just as the spouse of any heterosexual employee is. * The Supreme Court recognized in May 2000 a lesbian as the adoptive mother of the four-year-old biological son of her same-sex partner, and ordered the
Interior Ministry An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs. Lists of current ministries of internal affairs Named "ministry" * Ministry ...
to register the adoption. * An Israeli family court on 17 March 2002 turned down an application from a lesbian couple to have their partnership union declared legal. The couple was united in a civil ceremony in Germany. The women wanted the court to recognize their partnership as a civil marriage under Israeli law. The court said that since the women are not recognized as a family under Israeli law, the court is not authorized to rule on their case. A government lawyer who was asked by the court to give a legal opinion on the case on behalf of the Israeli Government said that the state objected to granting the request. * On 14 November 2004, the
Nazareth Nazareth ( ; ar, النَّاصِرَة, ''an-Nāṣira''; he, נָצְרַת, ''Nāṣəraṯ''; arc, ܢܨܪܬ, ''Naṣrath'') is the largest city in the Northern District of Israel. Nazareth is known as "the Arab capital of Israel". In ...
District Court ruled that same-sex couples have the same
inheritance Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, Title (property), titles, debts, entitlements, Privilege (law), privileges, rights, and Law of obligations, obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ ...
rights as married couples. This ruling overturned a Family Court ruling that an elderly man from
Kiryat Shmona Kiryat Shmona ( he, קִרְיַת שְׁמוֹנָה, ''lit.'' Town of the Eight) is a city in the Northern District of Israel on the western slopes of the Hula Valley near the Lebanese border. The city was named after the eight people, includi ...
was not entitled to spousal rights. The man had sought the estate of his late partner, with whom he lived for several decades. The Nazareth judges ruled that the term "man and woman" as spelled out in Israel's inheritance law also includes same-sex couples. Judges Nissim Maman and Gabriela Levy, who issued the majority opinion, based their decision on a loose interpretation of the term "partner" as defined in other court rulings, such as those dealing with issues related to
employee benefit Employment is a relationship between two parties regulating the provision of paid labour services. Usually based on a contract, one party, the employer, which might be a corporation, a not-for-profit organization, a co-operative, or any othe ...
s, and thus applied the interpretation to the inheritance law. The acting president of the Nazareth District Court, Menachem Ben-David, issued the minority opinion, arguing that the legal text should not be interpreted "contrary to the lingual significance". A government spokesperson said the ruling would be appealed. * In December 2004, the Tel Aviv District Court ruled that the state cannot
deport Deportation is the expulsion of a person or group of people from a place or country. The term ''expulsion'' is often used as a synonym for deportation, though expulsion is more often used in the context of international law, while deportatio ...
the Colombian partner of a gay Israeli man. The 32-year-old Colombian entered Israel on a visitors
visa Visa most commonly refers to: *Visa Inc., a US multinational financial and payment cards company ** Visa Debit card issued by the above company ** Visa Electron, a debit card ** Visa Plus, an interbank network *Travel visa, a document that allows ...
which had long expired and the Interior Ministry had ordered him deported. His partner is an Israeli citizen and a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces. The couple filed an emergency petition with the Tel Aviv District Court. The men were represented by the
Association for Civil Rights in Israel The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) (Hebrew: ; Arabic: ) was created in 1972 as an independent, non-partisan not-for-profit organization with the mission of protecting human rights and civil rights in Israel and the territories u ...
. Judge
Uzi Vogelman Uzi Vogelman (; born October 6, 1954) is a current justice in the Supreme Court of Israel. Vogelman was born in Tel Aviv. After serving in the Israel Defense Forces, he studied law at Tel Aviv University. He earned an LLB and was admitted to the ...
ruled that the state had acted illegally in attempting to deport the man. In 1999, a Supreme Court ruling established that the ministry could not deport foreign nationals married to Israeli citizens. Vogelman's decision extends that decision to apply to common-law marriages, including same-sex couples. * In March 2008, Israel's Interior Ministry granted a gay Palestinian from
Jenin Jenin (; ar, ') is a Palestinian city in the northern West Bank. It serves as the administrative center of the Jenin Governorate of the State of Palestine and is a major center for the surrounding towns. In 2007, Jenin had a population of app ...
a rare residency permit to live with his partner of 8 years in Tel Aviv after he said his sexuality put his life in danger in the
West Bank The West Bank ( ar, الضفة الغربية, translit=aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; he, הגדה המערבית, translit=HaGadah HaMaʽaravit, also referred to by some Israelis as ) is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...
. * In 2012, the first same-sex Israeli couple was granted a divorce by an Israeli family court. The divorce of Tel Aviv University Professor
Uzi Even Uzi Even ( he, עוזי אבן, born 18 October 1940) is an Israeli professor emeritus of physical chemistry at Tel Aviv University and a former politician well known for being the first openly gay member of the Knesset (the Israeli Parliament) ...
, the first openly gay Knesset member, and Dr. Amit Kama was granted by the Ramat Gan Family Court, according to
Haaretz ''Haaretz'' ( , originally ''Ḥadshot Haaretz'' – , ) is an Israeli newspaper. It was founded in 1918, making it the longest running newspaper currently in print in Israel, and is now published in both Hebrew and English in the Berliner f ...
, which ordered the Interior Minister to register their status as divorced. * In December 2016,
Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...
Avichai Mandelblit Avichai Mandelblit ( he, אביחי מנדלבליט; born 29 July 1963) is an Israeli jurist who served as the Attorney General of Israel from 2016 to 2022. Mandelblit had a long career in the Israel Defense Forces legal system, eventually serv ...
issued an instruction to Israel's Interior Ministry to consider applications for citizenship by same-sex and opposite-sex couples equally under the same terms.


Politics

Israel's Labor Party and
Meretz Meretz ( he, מֶרֶצ, ) is a left-wing political party in Israel. The party was formed in 1992 by the merger of Ratz, Mapam and Shinui, and was at its peak between 1992 and 1996 when it had 12 seats. It currently has no seats in the Knesset ...
support LGBT rights, as did the now-defunct
Shinui Shinui ( he, שִׁינּוּי, lit. ''Change'') was a Zionist, secular, and anti-clerical free market liberal party and political movement in Israel. The party twice became the third-largest in the Knesset, but both occasions were followed by a ...
. Under
Tzipi Livni Tziporah Malka "Tzipi" Livni ( he, ציפי (ציפורה) מלכה לבני, ; born 8 July 1958) is an Israeli politician, diplomat, and lawyer. A former member of the Knesset and leader in the center-left political camp, Livni is a former fore ...
,
Kadima Kadima ( he, קדימה, lit=''Forward'') was a centrist and liberal political party in Israel. It was established on 24 November 2005 by moderates from Likud largely following the implementation of Ariel Sharon's unilateral disengagement plan ...
has reached out to the LGBT community. Other minor liberal or progressive political parties support a similar platform as well, including the Greens and the Green Leaf Party. Officials from a number of parties, including
Yael German Yael German ( he, יעל גרמן, born 4 August 1947) is an Israeli politician and diplomat who served as a member of the Knesset for Yesh Atid and the Blue and White alliance between 2013 and 2020. She was Minister of Health between 2013 and ...
of
Yesh Atid Yesh Atid ( he, יֵשׁ עָתִיד, , There Is a Future) is a liberal political party in Israel. Founded by Yair Lapid in 2012, it seeks to represent what it considers the centre of Israeli society: the secular middle class. It focuses prima ...
,
Limor Livnat Limor Livnat (; born 22 September 1950) is an Israeli former politician. She served as a member of the Knesset for Likud between 1992 and 2015, and was Minister of Communications, Minister of Education, and Minister of Culture & Sport. Biogr ...
of the ruling Likud-Beiteinu, and openly gay
Nitzan Horowitz Nitzan Horowitz ( he, נִצָּן הוֹרוֹבִיץ; Transliterated: ; born 24 February 1965) is an politician and former journalist serving as Minister of Health since 2021. He is currently leader of Meretz. He previously was the chief U ...
of
Meretz Meretz ( he, מֶרֶצ, ) is a left-wing political party in Israel. The party was formed in 1992 by the merger of Ratz, Mapam and Shinui, and was at its peak between 1992 and 1996 when it had 12 seats. It currently has no seats in the Knesset ...
, back
same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same Legal sex and gender, sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being ...
and have pledged support for LGBT causes. Representatives from other parties, including
Hatnuah Hatnua ( he, הַתְּנוּעָה, lit=''The Movement'') was a liberal political party in Israel formed by former Israeli Foreign Minister and Vice Prime Minister Tzipi Livni to present an alternative to voters frustrated by the stalemate in th ...
,
Hadash Hadash ( he, חד״ש, lit=New), an acronym for ''HaHazit HaDemokratit LeShalom uLeShivion'' ( he, הַחֲזִית הַדֶּמוֹקְרָטִית לְשָׁלוֹם וּלְשִׁוְיוֹן, lit=The Democratic Front for Peace and Equalit ...
and the Labor Party, have also pledged support. Minister and MK
Limor Livnat Limor Livnat (; born 22 September 1950) is an Israeli former politician. She served as a member of the Knesset for Likud between 1992 and 2015, and was Minister of Communications, Minister of Education, and Minister of Culture & Sport. Biogr ...
, however, did state that getting the ruling Likud-Beiteinu to legislate for same-sex marriage would be difficult due to differing opinions concerning the issue within the party, but promised to do her utmost to get her party behind the issue. Ahead of the April 2019 legislative election,
Yisrael Beiteinu Yisrael Beiteinu ( he, יִשְׂרָאֵל בֵּיתֵנוּ, russian: Наш Дом Израиль, lit. ''Israel Our Home'') is a secularist, nationalist right-wing political party in Israel. The party's base was originally secular Russia ...
, one of the more conservative political parties in the country, announced that its "doors were open to everyone" regardless of their
sexual orientation Sexual orientation is an enduring pattern of romantic or sexual attraction (or a combination of these) to persons of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender. These attractions are generall ...
. On 22 October 2002,
Meretz Meretz ( he, מֶרֶצ, ) is a left-wing political party in Israel. The party was formed in 1992 by the merger of Ratz, Mapam and Shinui, and was at its peak between 1992 and 1996 when it had 12 seats. It currently has no seats in the Knesset ...
MK
Uzi Even Uzi Even ( he, עוזי אבן, born 18 October 1940) is an Israeli professor emeritus of physical chemistry at Tel Aviv University and a former politician well known for being the first openly gay member of the Knesset (the Israeli Parliament) ...
made history by becoming the first openly gay member of the Knesset. Five more openly gay Israelis—
Nitzan Horowitz Nitzan Horowitz ( he, נִצָּן הוֹרוֹבִיץ; Transliterated: ; born 24 February 1965) is an politician and former journalist serving as Minister of Health since 2021. He is currently leader of Meretz. He previously was the chief U ...
, Itzik Smuli,
Yorai Lahav-Hertzano Yorai Lahav-Hertzano ( he, יוֹרַאי לַהַב־הֵרְצָנוּ, born 5 August 1988) is an Israeli politician. He currently serves as a member of the Knesset for Yesh Atid. Biography Born in Tel Aviv, Lahav-Hertzano was chair of the Tel ...
,
Idan Roll Idan Roll ( he, עִידָן רוֹל, born 27 April 1984) is an Israeli politician, model and lawyer. He is currently Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and was a member of the Knesset for Yesh Atid. Biography Roll was born in Jerusalem and mo ...
and
Amir Ohana Amir Ohana ( he, אָמִיר אוֹחָנָה, born 15 March 1976) is an Israeli lawyer, former Shin Bet official and politician who currently serves a member of the Knesset for Likud. He previously held the posts of Minister of Justice and Mi ...
—have been elected to the Knesset since then. In 2019, after the April general elections, a record-breaking five openly gay MKs were elected. They are Itzik Smuli (
Labor Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...
),
Amir Ohana Amir Ohana ( he, אָמִיר אוֹחָנָה, born 15 March 1976) is an Israeli lawyer, former Shin Bet official and politician who currently serves a member of the Knesset for Likud. He previously held the posts of Minister of Justice and Mi ...
(
Likud Likud ( he, הַלִּיכּוּד, HaLikud, The Consolidation), officially known as Likud – National Liberal Movement, is a major centre-right to right-wing political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin and Ariel Sharon ...
),
Eitan Ginzburg Eitan Ginzburg ( he, אֵיתָן גִּינְזְבּוּרְג, born 25 January 1977) is an Israeli politician. The first openly gay mayor in Israel when he became mayor of Ra'anana in 2018, he was elected to the Knesset the following year and ...
, Idan Roll and Yorai Lahav-Hertzano (each being a member of Blue and White). In 2018, the city of
Ra'anana Ra'anana ( he, רַעֲנָנָּה, lit. "Fresh") is a city in the southern Sharon Plain of the Central District of Israel. It was founded in 1922 as an American-Jewish settlement, 1 km south of the village of Tabsur, where an important ...
elected
Eitan Ginzburg Eitan Ginzburg ( he, אֵיתָן גִּינְזְבּוּרְג, born 25 January 1977) is an Israeli politician. The first openly gay mayor in Israel when he became mayor of Ra'anana in 2018, he was elected to the Knesset the following year and ...
(he later became an MK) as mayor, making him the first openly gay mayor in Israel. In 2019, ahead of the September legislative election,
Nitzan Horowitz Nitzan Horowitz ( he, נִצָּן הוֹרוֹבִיץ; Transliterated: ; born 24 February 1965) is an politician and former journalist serving as Minister of Health since 2021. He is currently leader of Meretz. He previously was the chief U ...
successfully challenged incumbent
Tamar Zandberg Tamar Zandberg (, born 29 April 1976) is an Israeli politician who served as Ministry of Environmental Protection (Israel), Minister of Environmental Protection from 2021 to 2022. Zandberg also served as a member of the Knesset for Meretz from 20 ...
for the leadership of
Meretz Meretz ( he, מֶרֶצ, ) is a left-wing political party in Israel. The party was formed in 1992 by the merger of Ratz, Mapam and Shinui, and was at its peak between 1992 and 1996 when it had 12 seats. It currently has no seats in the Knesset ...
, which made Meretz the first Israeli party to elect an openly gay person as its leader. In July 2019,
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Benjamin Netanyahu Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (; ; born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who served as the ninth prime minister of Israel from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2009 to 2021. He is currently serving as Leader of the Opposition and Chairman of ...
appointed Evan Cohen, a linguist and LGBT rights activist, as the foreign media spokesperson. Nevertheless, there still have been anti-gay politicians. In 1997,
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Ezer Weizman Ezer Weizman (; he, עֵזֶר וַיצְמָן ''Ezer Vaytsman''; 15 June 1924 – 24 April 2005) was the seventh President of Israel, first elected in 1993 and re-elected in 1998. Before the presidency, Weizman was commander of the Israeli Ai ...
compared homosexuality to alcoholism in front of high school students. This provoked major controversy, and the President received numerous calls from
civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...
activists and liberal
Knesset The Knesset ( he, הַכְּנֶסֶת ; "gathering" or "assembly") is the unicameral legislature of Israel. As the supreme state body, the Knesset is sovereign and thus has complete control of the entirety of the Israeli government (with ...
members. Shortly following, 300 people demonstrated outside of Weizman's residence, demanding his resignation. He later apologised for these statements. On 20 February 2008, Shlomo Benizri, a Knesset member from the religious
Shas Shas ( he, ש״ס) is a Haredi religious political party in Israel. Founded in 1984 under the leadership of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, a former Israeli Sephardi chief rabbi, who remained its spiritual leader until his death in October 2013, it primarily ...
party, a member of Prime Minister
Ehud Olmert Ehud Olmert (; he, אֶהוּד אוֹלְמֶרְט, ; born 30 September 1945) is an Israeli politician and lawyer. He served as the 12th Prime Minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009 and before that as a cabinet minister from 1988 to 1992 and ...
's ruling coalition, blamed earthquakes that had recently struck the Middle East on the activities of homosexuals. Benizri said in a Knesset plenary session, "Why do earthquakes happen? ... One of the reasons is the things to which the Knesset gives legitimacy, to sodomy." He recommended that instead of merely reinforcing buildings to withstand earthquakes, the Government should pass legislation to outlaw "perversions like adoptions by gay couples". Benizri stated that, "A cost-effective way of averting earthquake damage would be to stop passing legislation on how to encourage homosexual activity in the State of Israel, which anyways causes earthquakes." In 2015,
Bezalel Smotrich Bezalel Yoel Smotrich (, born 27 February 1980) is an Israeli lawyer and far-right politician. The leader of the Religious Zionist Party, he previously served as a Knesset member for Yamina. Biography Bezalel Smotrich was born in Haspin, a re ...
, a Knesset member from the
Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pa ...
-religious
Jewish Home The Jewish Home ( he, הַבַּיִת הַיְהוּדִי, HaBayit HaYehudi) is an Orthodox Jewish and religious Zionist political party in Israel. It was originally formed by a merger of the National Religious Party, Moledet, and Tkuma in ...
party, referred to LGBT people as "abnormal", stating: "At home, everyone can be abnormal, and people can form whatever family unit they want. But they can't make demands from me, as the state." In the same discussion, he told the audience, "I am a proud
homophobe Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred or antipathy, ma ...
". He later apologized, and retracted his statement, saying: "Someone shouted from the crowd, and I responded inattentively". In July 2015, after the Jerusalem LGBT pride stabbing, Smotrich called it a "beast parade", and refused to retract his homophobic remarks. In August 2015, Smotrich accused LGBT organizations of controlling the media, claiming they use their control to gain public sympathy and silence those who share his conservative views. An Israeli NGO, Ometz, filed a complaint with the Knesset Ethics Committee to intervene and investigate Smotrich's comments. On 23 February 2016, the Knesset marked the first LGBT rights day, but on 24 February 2016, the parties that form the governing coalition, Likud,
United Torah Judaism United Torah Judaism ( he, יהדות התורה, ''Yahadut HaTora''), often referred to by its electoral symbol Gimel (), is a Haredi, religious conservative political alliance in Israel. The alliance, consisting of Agudat Yisrael and Degel HaT ...
, Shas,
Kulanu Kulanu ( he, כולנו, lit. ''All of Us'') was a centrist political party in Israel founded by Moshe Kahlon that focused on economic and cost-of-living issues. History The party was established on 27 November 2014 following months of spec ...
, and the Jewish Home, supported by opposition members, defeated bills to recognize bereaved
widower A widow (female) or widower (male) is a person whose spouse has died. Terminology The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed ''widowhood''. An archaic term for a widow is "relict," literally "someone left over". This word can so ...
s, ban
conversion therapy Conversion therapy is the pseudoscientific practice of attempting to change an individual's sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression to align with heterosexual and cisgender norms. In contrast to evidence-based medicine and cli ...
, recognize
same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same Legal sex and gender, sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being ...
, and train health professionals to deal with gender and sexual orientation issues. Two days before the April 2019 legislative election, Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (; ; born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who served as the ninth prime minister of Israel from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2009 to 2021. He is currently serving as Leader of the Opposition and Chairman of ...
hosted a group of representatives of the LGBT community at the Prime Minister's residence for the first time in 10 years. Although the meeting was described as "warm" and "good", representatives of the LGBT community were disappointed after the meeting ended with the refusal of Netanyahu to make promises to advance pro-LGBT legislation due to the pressure of right-wing religious and ultra-Orthodox coalition parties. In July 2019, interim Education Minister
Rafi Peretz Rafael "Rafi" Peretz (; born 7 January 1956) is an Israeli Orthodox rabbi and politician. A former military officer and helicopter pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its d ...
attracted criticism from when he endorsed
conversion therapy Conversion therapy is the pseudoscientific practice of attempting to change an individual's sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression to align with heterosexual and cisgender norms. In contrast to evidence-based medicine and cli ...
. Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (; ; born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who served as the ninth prime minister of Israel from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2009 to 2021. He is currently serving as Leader of the Opposition and Chairman of ...
rejected Peretz's comments as unacceptable, saying that they "do not represent isgovernment's position" and that " emade it clear to him that the Israeli educational system will continue to accept all Jewish children whoever they are and without any difference based on sexual orientation." Thousands of Israeli teachers signed a petition demanding his resignation, and more than a thousand people protested his comments in Tel Aviv and in Peretz's hometown, calling for his dismissal. Days layer, Peretz backtracked from his comments, labelling conversion therapy "inappropriate", but added that "individuals with a homosexual orientation have the right to receive professional help". In June 2019, Jerusalem city inspectors took down a
Pride Pride is defined by Merriam-Webster as "reasonable self-esteem" or "confidence and satisfaction in oneself". A healthy amount of pride is good, however, pride sometimes is used interchangeably with "conceit" or "arrogance" (among other words) wh ...
banner hung by the
US embassy The United States has the second most diplomatic missions of any country in the world after Mainland China, including 166 of the 193 member countries of the United Nations, as well as observer state Vatican City and non-member countries Kosovo a ...
for LGBTQ Pride Month. Deputy mayor Arieh King had ordered the removal.


Society


Living conditions

Israel has an active
LGBT community The LGBT community (also known as the LGBTQ+ community, GLBT community, gay community, or queer community) is a loosely defined grouping of lesbian, gay men, gay, bisexuality, bisexual, transgender, and other queer individuals united by a comm ...
, with well attended annual gay Pride parade, pride festivals, held in Tel Aviv Pride, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem gay pride parade, Jerusalem since 1998. Pride events are also held regularly in Haifa, Petah Tikva, Hadera,
Ra'anana Ra'anana ( he, רַעֲנָנָּה, lit. "Fresh") is a city in the southern Sharon Plain of the Central District of Israel. It was founded in 1922 as an American-Jewish settlement, 1 km south of the village of Tabsur, where an important ...
, Eilat, and Rishon LeZion. In 2016, the first-ever pride parade scheduled in Beersheba was cancelled by the Supreme Court (Israel), Israeli Supreme Court due to security concerns. Israel is one of only eleven foreign countries to have a chapter of the U.S. group PFLAG, called Tehila (organization), Tehila. The Jerusalem parade gained international coverage when three marchers were stabbed in 2005. The perpetrator was subsequently sentenced to twelve years in prison. An attempt by Jerusalem's mayor, a Haredi Jew, to thwart Jerusalem Pride in June 2005 had been challenged in the courts. The mayor lost and was ordered to contribute funds to the event. The WorldPride Festival was planned for Jerusalem in August 2005, despite protests and opposition from members of the three major religions in Jerusalem. However, it was postponed due to Israel's unilateral disengagement plan, Israel's pullout from the Gaza Strip, which required the presence of most Israeli police forces and would thus leave the parade with little to no security. The parade had been plagued with threats of violence, as well as consistent grandstanding by some Jewish, Muslim and Christian leaders and members of the Knesset. In November 2006, more than two thousand members of the Haredi Judaism, Haredi community jammed into streets in an Orthodox neighbourhood in a show of force aimed at pressuring authorities into cancelling the gay pride parade to be held in Jerusalem. About a dozen people were reported injured. Six people were stabbed in 2015. One of the victims, 16-year-old Shira Banki, died of her wounds at the Hadassah Medical Center three days later, on 2 August 2015. The number of Jerusalem pride participants after the 2015 attack was smaller than in years past. In 2016, some 25,000 took part, many in solidarity with the LGBT community following the deadly stabbing attack, while in 2017, at least 22,000 marched in the parade. In 2018, at least 20,000 marched in the parade. On 6 June 2019, around 15,000 people marched at the event, under tight security with a reported 2,500 security personnel. At least 49 people who wanted to violently disturb the event were arrested. Tel Aviv Pride is one of the largest pride parades in the world. There were 200,000 participants reported in 2016. The parade is the biggest pride celebration in continental Asia, drawing more than 200,000 people in 2017, approximately 30,000 of them tourists. There were more than 250,000 participants reported in 2018, and again more than 250,000 participants in 2019. On 1 August 2009, an unknown assailant opened fire at Tel Aviv's main LGBT youth center, the 2009 Tel Aviv gay centre shooting, Barnoar, killing two and injuring fifteen others. The attack sent shockwaves throughout the worldwide gay community and throughout Israel, sparking an immense reaction throughout the country. Before this attack, it had only been mainly left-leaning politicians that supported the LGBT community in Israel. The issue for LGBT rights and acceptance began to slowly shift towards the center of Israel's political spectrum. This shift had slowly begun when Israel's Foreign Minister
Tzipi Livni Tziporah Malka "Tzipi" Livni ( he, ציפי (ציפורה) מלכה לבני, ; born 8 July 1958) is an Israeli politician, diplomat, and lawyer. A former member of the Knesset and leader in the center-left political camp, Livni is a former fore ...
appeared at gay pride events in the months prior to the shooting. However, in the aftermath of this massacre, right-wing politicians began to publicly show their support for the gay community. On 6 October 2016, Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon announced that the Israel Government had issued an order to give a divided 10 million Israeli new shekel, shekels to various governments over a two-year period to examine the nation's LGBT community for possible discriminations. A leading LGBT nonprofit called the move historic and ''
Haaretz ''Haaretz'' ( , originally ''Ḥadshot Haaretz'' – , ) is an Israeli newspaper. It was founded in 1918, making it the longest running newspaper currently in print in Israel, and is now published in both Hebrew and English in the Berliner f ...
'' journalist Ilan Lior noted that it would even result in a major examination of issues such as the MSM blood transfusion restrictions. In February 2019, in a report to
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Reuven Rivlin by the LGBT association The Aguda – Israel's LGBT Task Force, it was revealed that in 2018 there had been a 54% increase in homophobic incidents compared to 2017. The report highlighted that an anti-gay incident takes place about every ten hours on average in Israel. On social networks, a homophobic comment is detected every four minutes. In July 2019, Shlomo Amar, the Sephardi Jews, Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, was criticised for stating that gay people cannot be religious by saying that "They aren't religious. It would be better if they cast off their kippah and Shabbat [observance] and show their true faces.", and advocating for the pseudoscientific practice of
conversion therapy Conversion therapy is the pseudoscientific practice of attempting to change an individual's sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression to align with heterosexual and cisgender norms. In contrast to evidence-based medicine and cli ...
. Ne'emanei Torah Va'Avodah and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) criticised his comments. Jerusalem councilmembers Yossi Chavilov and Laura Warton called for the removal of Amar from his post as rabbi, as did openly gay politician Avi Buskila and Blue and White MK
Eitan Ginzburg Eitan Ginzburg ( he, אֵיתָן גִּינְזְבּוּרְג, born 25 January 1977) is an Israeli politician. The first openly gay mayor in Israel when he became mayor of Ra'anana in 2018, he was elected to the Knesset the following year and ...
. Fellow Blue and White MK
Yael German Yael German ( he, יעל גרמן, born 4 August 1947) is an Israeli politician and diplomat who served as a member of the Knesset for Yesh Atid and the Blue and White alliance between 2013 and 2020. She was Minister of Health between 2013 and ...
advised Amar to follow the example of Pope Francis in his moves to accept the LGBT community. The Jerusalem Open House association and three LGBT Jewish groups, Bat Kol (organization), Bat-Kol, Havruta (organization), Havruta and the Gay Religious Community, condemned his comments as well. He also caused controversy in 2016 by saying that homosexuality is an "abomination cult" for which the Torah prescribes the death penalty. In July 2019, a 16-year-old teenager who lives in the Beit Dror LGBT center in Tel Aviv was stabbed several times and seriously wounded by his brother for refusing to adopt "a religious lifestyle". Israel Gay Youth (IGY) called the stabbing a hate crime. The condition of the victim stabilized after he underwent surgery at the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center. Media reported that the victim and two suspects were all Muslim brothers from the Arab town of Tamra in northern Israel and that the victim was removed from his home by social services due to harassment from his family. Nearly 1,000 LGBT people and allies marched in Tel Aviv under the banner "fighting for our lives" to denounce violence against LGBT people in the wake of the attack. The march was attended by openly gay Blue and White MKs Eitan Ginzburg and
Idan Roll Idan Roll ( he, עִידָן רוֹל, born 27 April 1984) is an Israeli politician, model and lawyer. He is currently Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and was a member of the Knesset for Yesh Atid. Biography Roll was born in Jerusalem and mo ...
, who said the party was committed to ending violence against the LGBT community, and by
Meretz Meretz ( he, מֶרֶצ, ) is a left-wing political party in Israel. The party was formed in 1992 by the merger of Ratz, Mapam and Shinui, and was at its peak between 1992 and 1996 when it had 12 seats. It currently has no seats in the Knesset ...
leader
Nitzan Horowitz Nitzan Horowitz ( he, נִצָּן הוֹרוֹבִיץ; Transliterated: ; born 24 February 1965) is an politician and former journalist serving as Minister of Health since 2021. He is currently leader of Meretz. He previously was the chief U ...
, Israel's first ever openly gay party leader, and Etai Pinkas, Etai Pinkas-Arad, who holds the LGBT portfolio at the
Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality ( he, עיריית תל אביב-יפו) is the arm of local government responsible for the administration of the Israeli city of Tel Aviv-Yafo. Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality handles such municipal affairs as education, cu ...
. The stabbing was also condemned as a hate crime by a number of politicians, among them
Nitzan Horowitz Nitzan Horowitz ( he, נִצָּן הוֹרוֹבִיץ; Transliterated: ; born 24 February 1965) is an politician and former journalist serving as Minister of Health since 2021. He is currently leader of Meretz. He previously was the chief U ...
and by some Arab lawmakers, namely
Meretz Meretz ( he, מֶרֶצ, ) is a left-wing political party in Israel. The party was formed in 1992 by the merger of Ratz, Mapam and Shinui, and was at its peak between 1992 and 1996 when it had 12 seats. It currently has no seats in the Knesset ...
MK Issawi Frej,
Hadash Hadash ( he, חד״ש, lit=New), an acronym for ''HaHazit HaDemokratit LeShalom uLeShivion'' ( he, הַחֲזִית הַדֶּמוֹקְרָטִית לְשָׁלוֹם וּלְשִׁוְיוֹן, lit=The Democratic Front for Peace and Equalit ...
party leader Ayman Odeh, Hadash MK Aida Touma-Sliman and Balad (political party), Balad MK Mtanes Shihadeh. Green Movement (Israel), Green Movement MK Stav Shaffir blamed members of the religious right for intolerance towards LGBT Israelis, to which Ministry of Transport and Road Safety, Transport Minister
Bezalel Smotrich Bezalel Yoel Smotrich (, born 27 February 1980) is an Israeli lawyer and far-right politician. The leader of the Religious Zionist Party, he previously served as a Knesset member for Yamina. Biography Bezalel Smotrich was born in Haspin, a re ...
(The Jewish Home) called her "stupid". Four days later, the two suspects in the stabbing turned themselves in. In 2019, the LGBT association The Aguda – Israel's LGBT Task Force announced that gay pride events would be held in 12 locales that have never held them before. Among these are Tiberias, Beit Shemesh, Zikhron Ya'akov,
Ramat Gan Ramat Gan ( he, רָמַת גַּן or , ) is a city in the Tel Aviv District of Israel, located east of the municipality of Tel Aviv and part of the Tel Aviv metropolitan area. It is home to one of the world's major diamond exchanges, and many ...
, Petah Tikva, Pardes Hanna-Karkur, Netanya, Yavne and Kiryat Bialik.


Health

On 23 February 2016, the Ministry of Health approved a pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) program to prevent HIV transmission, making Israel one of the first countries to implement it. The drugs are handed out at AIDS centers in hospitals and clinics that serve the LGBT community, in addition to health fund clinics.


Public opinion

A 2013 public opinion poll by ''
Haaretz ''Haaretz'' ( , originally ''Ḥadshot Haaretz'' – , ) is an Israeli newspaper. It was founded in 1918, making it the longest running newspaper currently in print in Israel, and is now published in both Hebrew and English in the Berliner f ...
'' showed support for same-sex marriage at 59% among Israelis. A Hiddush survey made in 2016 found that 76% of Israelis supported the recognition of same-sex marriage or civil unions. The poll showed an increase in public support on this issue in Israel. A June 2017 poll found that 79% of Israelis supported legally recognising same-sex unions. According to the 2020 Pew Research, 47% of Israelis said homosexuality should be accepted by society. Acceptance was higher among Israeli Jews (53%) than Israeli Muslims (17%). According to the 2018 European Social Survey, Israel ranks low in tolerance of LGBT people and support for equal rights for gays and lesbians. Compared with 17 European countries, Israel has the highest percentage of people who consider themselves part of a group that suffers discrimination based on sexual orientation. Also, it ranks 15th in support for the statement that gays and lesbians should be free to live their lives as they choose.


LGBT rights movement

Since the 1970s, there has been an active LGBT social movements, gay rights movement that has often affiliated itself with the Israeli Feminism, feminist movement and various liberal and Social democracy, social democratic political parties. The oldest Israeli LGBT organization is The Aguda – Israel's LGBT Task Force, The Aguda, founded in 1975.


Media

One of the first Israeli newspapers to cover the subject of gay people was a 1962 article in the now defunct ''HaOlam HaZeh''. Taking a sensationalist tone, the newspaper warned of a "secret underground" movement within Israel. In the 1980s, the Tel Aviv weekly newspaper ''HaIr'' began to publish a chronicle about an Israeli gay man, known at the time as ''Moshe'', who would later reveal himself to be Gal Uchovsky. The second major shift in how Israeli media dealt with
LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is a ...
issues came in 1991, when the Histadrut Labor Federation began to include, in its official publication, a section on
LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is a ...
social and political topics. This was followed by gradually more supportive press coverage on the Israeli LGBT community and its human rights objectives. Today, the two Israeli daily newspapers have openly gay editors and/or writers, and several LGBT-publications have come and gone. Radio stations such as Radio Tzafon and Radio Radius both have scheduled times for guests to come on the air and talk about LGBT social and political topics.


Pinkwashing

Sarah Schulman, a writer and professor at the City University of New York, claims Israeli Public diplomacy (Israel), government public relations campaign exploits their LGBT rights record to promote public perception of Israel as a "modern democracy", a "safe and secure place for investment", and a "tourist destination with the sun and the sand". In August 2011, the ''Jerusalem Post'' reported that the Foreign Ministry was promoting "Gay Israel" as part of its campaigns to counter the negative stereotypes that many liberal Americans and Europeans have of Israel. Critics of Israel like Jasbir Puar, an associate professor of Women's and Gender Studies at Rutgers University, cite the Israeli Government's comparison of gay rights in Israel and in the occupied Palestinian territories as an example of pinkwashing. Citing WorldPride, which Jerusalem hosted in 2006, she wrote: "Within global gay and lesbian organising circuits, to be gay-friendly is to be modern, cosmopolitan, developed, first-world, global north, and, most significantly, democratic." Joseph Massad, associate professor of modern Arab politics and intellectual history at Columbia University, has written that the Israeli Government "insist[s] on advertising and exaggerating its recent record on LGBT rights ... to fend off international condemnation of its violations of the rights of the Palestinian people." Ido Aharoni, former head of the Brand Israel project, responded to such criticism saying: "We are not trying to hide the conflict, but broaden the conversation. We want to create a sense of relevance with other communities." Alan Dershowitz, criminal and civil liberties lawyer, has said that the term "pinkwashing" is used against Israel by "some radical gay activists" who are anti-Semitic "bigots". Several LGBT Palestinians were reported to have been blackmailed by the
Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the Israel, State of Israel. It consists of three servic ...
to become informants. Reports stated that Mossad, Israeli intelligence pries into Palestinians' internet activity and phone calls so as to identify and blackmail LGBT people and turn them into informants against other Palestinians. According to an Israeli Intelligence Corps officer: "If anyone interests us, we'd collect information on his or her economic situation and mental state. Then we would plan how we can perform an operation around this individual, in order to turn them into a collaborator or something of the sort."


Film and television

The first Israeli LGBT-themed film came from openly gay director Amos Guttman and was called ''Drifting (1983 film), Nagu'a'' (English title ''Drifting''). Guttman was its co-writer. The film follows a young Israeli gay man, living and working with his grandparents, who has dreams of making a film and finding true love. Guttman, who died of AIDS in 1993, would write and direct another Israeli gay-themed film titled ''Amazing Grace (1992 film), Amazing Grace'' (1992). Both films are considered to be autobiographies of the director. In total, Guttman directed four films and three short films. His portrayal of Israeli gay men was dark, and his films are considered to be targeted at the LGBT community in Israel, and not to the general public. Another notable Israeli director to tackle LGBT themes in films is Eytan Fox. His first film, ''Time Off'' (1990), was the second film made in Israel to focus on gay people. He has directed and written several other successful LGBT-themed films, including ''Ba'al Ba'al Lev'' (1997), ''Yossi & Jagger'' (2002), ''Walk on Water (film), Walk on Water'' (2004), and ''The Bubble (2006 film), The Bubble'' (2006). Fox was also involved in the first Israeli prime time TV drama made for a general audience which dealt extensively with
LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is a ...
themes, ''Florentin'' (1997–2000). This was an Israeli television series about a group of post-military service, Israeli twenty-somethings living in Florentin (Tel Aviv), Florentin. It was the first Israeli series to have a gay person among its major characters, and was part of a slow trend that had been unfolding in the 1990s with shows such as ''Straight and to the Point'' and ''Siton''. Today, there is more programming for an LGBT audience. In 1993, the first commercial TV network in Israel, Channel 2 (Israel), Channel 2, went on the air. It regularly dealt with
LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is a ...
social and political topics, and, in particular, helped generate greater visibility and acceptance of transgender celebrities such as Dana International. The LGBT community in Israel was also brought to the media's attention following the winning of the Eurovision Song Contest in 1998 by Dana International, an Israeli transsexual, transwoman. At present, LGBT people in Israel can be seen on television in a variety of shows, mostly as hosts (such as Assi Azar), contestants in reality shows or characters on soap operas.


Palestinian issues

Palestinian society tends to be conservative, with families tending to see homosexuality and cross-dressing as immoral acts, deserving of condemnation. Some LGBT Palestinians have relocated to Israel, often fleeing harsh intolerance that includes physical abuse, death, or disowning. Significant expatriate groups exist in
Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...
and Netanya, where many live with their Israeli same-sex partners who help keep their presence in Israel hidden from the police (who would pursue them not for their sexual orientation, but for staying illegally in the country). In 2003, Aswat was founded, which describes itself as a Palestinian lesbian support group. However, the group is headquartered in Haifa, Israel, and is geared toward Arab lesbians in Israel and the Palestinian Authority. A secret association of Aswat was founded in Ramallah in March 2007 by four gay students. The Israeli Jerusalem Open House has opened an Arab chapter called Al Qaws, reaching out to gay and lesbian Palestinians, Al Qaws later split off to become its own group in 2007. In 2008, Israel granted a gay Palestinian a residency permit to live with his Israeli partner in Tel Aviv following death threats from Palestinians regarding his homosexuality. Aswat claimed that gays are sometimes targeted by the Israeli security services and are told that they must collaborate with Israel or face being outed.


Notable individuals

* Aderet (singer), Aderet, musician * Corinne Allal, musician * Sarit Hadad, musician * Yossi Avni-Levy, diplomat * Assi Azar, TV personality * Orna Banai, actress * Jean-Pierre Barda, musician and actor * Apollo Braun, musician and author * Eliad Cohen, model * Evan Cohen, linguist and LGBT rights activist, foreign media spokesperson * Dana International, musician * Jonathan Danilowitz, activist * Ran Danker, actor * Jason Danino-Holt, anchor * Irit Dinur, mathematician/computer scientist *
Uzi Even Uzi Even ( he, עוזי אבן, born 18 October 1940) is an Israeli professor emeritus of physical chemistry at Tel Aviv University and a former politician well known for being the first openly gay member of the Knesset (the Israeli Parliament) ...
, scientist and politician * Rose Fostanes, Rose "Osang" Fostanes, musician * Eytan Fox, director * Marcia Freedman, activist and politician * Robert Friend (poet), Robert Friend, poet * Amir Fryszer Guttman, musician *
Eitan Ginzburg Eitan Ginzburg ( he, אֵיתָן גִּינְזְבּוּרְג, born 25 January 1977) is an Israeli politician. The first openly gay mayor in Israel when he became mayor of Ra'anana in 2018, he was elected to the Knesset the following year and ...
, politician * Amos Guttman, director * Yuval Noah Harari, historian * Matan Hodorov, journalist * Noam Horev, song writer *
Nitzan Horowitz Nitzan Horowitz ( he, נִצָּן הוֹרוֹבִיץ; Transliterated: ; born 24 February 1965) is an politician and former journalist serving as Minister of Health since 2021. He is currently leader of Meretz. He previously was the chief U ...
, politician * Dario Hunter, Dario David Hunter, rabbi * Rona Kenan, musician *
Yorai Lahav-Hertzano Yorai Lahav-Hertzano ( he, יוֹרַאי לַהַב־הֵרְצָנוּ, born 5 August 1988) is an Israeli politician. He currently serves as a member of the Knesset for Yesh Atid. Biography Born in Tel Aviv, Lahav-Hertzano was chair of the Tel ...
, politician * Asi Levi, actress * Ivri Lider, musician * Michael Lucas (director), Michael Lucas, director * Lyrik, musician * Idan Matalon, video blogger * Doron Medalie, musician * Gil Mossinson, Gili Mossinson, basketball player * Ezra Nawi, activist * Adi Nes, photographer * Offer Nissim, musician * Tzipora Obziler, tennis player *
Amir Ohana Amir Ohana ( he, אָמִיר אוֹחָנָה, born 15 March 1976) is an Israeli lawyer, former Shin Bet official and politician who currently serves a member of the Knesset for Likud. He previously held the posts of Minister of Justice and Mi ...
, politician * Dana Olmert, activist * Yotam Ottolenghi, chef * Etai Pinkas, activist * Yehuda Poliker, musician * Yehudit Ravitz, musician *
Idan Roll Idan Roll ( he, עִידָן רוֹל, born 27 April 1984) is an Israeli politician, model and lawyer. He is currently Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and was a member of the Knesset for Yesh Atid. Biography Roll was born in Jerusalem and mo ...
, politician * Ronen Rubinstein, actor * Jonathan Sagall, actor * Itzik Shmuli, politician * Gil Shohat, musician * Harel Skaat, musician * Dori Spivak, judge * Hovi Star, musician * Gal Uchovsky, screenwriter and producer * Yeho, musician * Yona Wallach, poet * Ron Yosef, activist * Amit Rahav, actor * Sapir Berman, soccer referee


Summary table


See also

* Tel Aviv gay centre shooting * Homosexuality and Judaism * Human rights in Israel * LGBT history in Israel * LGBT rights in the Middle East * LGBT rights by country or territory * LGBT rights in Asia * List of LGBT Jews * ''Men of Israel'' * Tel Aviv Municipal LGBT Community Center * Tel Aviv Pride * Timeline of LGBT Jewish history * LGBT clergy in Judaism * Transgender people and religion * Jewish LGBT organizations


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:LGBT rights in Israel LGBT rights in Israel,