Israel is refusing to cancel this week's gay pride parade in the face of escalating violence from the anti-gay loonies.
Attorney General Menachem Mazuz refused on Sunday to ban a gay pride march planned for Friday in Jerusalem despite threats of violence from an extremist sect.
Police advocated canceling the parade and warned Mazuz that they had "viable" information that members of the Haredi ultra Orthodox Jewish sect would attempt to kill marchers and gay community leaders if the parade were not stopped.
"Giving in to threats is in itself a threat to democracy, and therefore not holding the parade is unthinkable," Mazurz is quoted as telling District Police Commander Major General Ilan Franco.
Mazuz ordered Franco to meet Monday with representatives of Open House, Jerusalem's LGBT community center which is planning the march, to lay out a parade route that can be secured.
This deserves applause and praise from the rest of the world.
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While I agree in praising the courage of the government to back the march and of the marchers to participate, I'm am fearful of what violence may be done to them. Remember 11 years ago:
"On November 4, 1995, Rabin was assassinated by Yigal Amir, a right-wing Jewish radical who had strenuously opposed Rabin's signing of the Oslo Accords..."
Israelis don't play around. The worst threat made here would be a boycott.
We are still not optimistic. The ultra-orthodox mob is on a rampage again. It turns out that it's made up mostly of drop outs from Yeshivas and so no Rabbi really has control of them, and thus the police are still trying to use this fact to say that they can't protect us against stabbing attempts and similar stuff.
Actually the truly frightening scenario is a repeat of the 1983 incident when an extreme right winger lobbed a grenade into a "peace now" rally and killed one of the protesters. Fact is, grenades have been stolen from army bases by right wingers in the army, and by soldiers looking for some extra money.
We're still marching on Friday, even though my family wants to tie me up at home to protect me...
Marvin-
Please keep us posted on any developments. And after the parade, if you'd like to put together a post on the experience and what happened I'll be glad to put it up here.
Ed, thanks for your offer, I will be glad to give you a report from the parade itself folowing it, just tell me how to get it to you.
Current update:
To anybody who doesn't know, Israel has two official chief rabbis. The two wonders published a joint statement calling for a quiet protest on Friday against the "Horrible filth" being perpetuated in Jerusalem. Apparently they forgot that they are the chief rabbis of the religious gays also, but that isn't surprising anyone.
On a much more serious note, there is a cabalistic ceremony known as a "pulsa denura" (fire strike) which is apperntly being planned against the organizers of the march. It could have been a funny aside, waiting for God to actually do something to the march, except for the fact that there is usually some idiot wanting to assist. Leaving the caballa aside, this is the Jewish form of a fatwa and some idiot (or idiots) will probably try to comply.
The organizers of the march on the other hand, have agreed to move the walk to the surroundings of the parliament, which is far removed from the Open House (for Gays) and all residential neighborhoods. The ultra-orthodox however have refused to accept this compromise, and have appealled to the supreme court. The final decision will be on Wednesday morning. However, we have clear knowledge that the ultra-orthodox will ignore any court ruling against them.
marvin-
Email it to me at ebrayton@crystalauto.com. And thanks for the update. The crazies don't care what the courts say, they speak directly to God. They will settle for nothing less than your complete removal, preferably by stoning, from Israeli society. Good luck and stay safe.
I'm actually straight, so if I get stoned it's for eating pork and being an atheist, or for being a left winger, or for simply having and accepting gay relatives and friends.
Doesn't really matter with these holy idiots.
"It turns out that it's made up mostly of drop outs from Yeshivas and so no Rabbi really has control of them."
The above constitutes a real misreading. Not one of these black-clad men would dare take to the streets without explicit instructions and encouragement from their Rabbinic leaders. Make no mistake, the violence can be turned on and off like a spigot.