Thousands are marching in the Pride Parade in Jerusalem, the opening event of Pride Month. Participants marched through the streets of Jerusalem to Independence Park. Due to fear of harm to the marchers, police were deployed throughout the city with more than 2,000 police officers and Border Guard police, some undercover, with the assistance of reinforcements and volunteers. Israel Police Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai arrived at the scene, as well as the Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir – who in the past demonstrated against the Pride parades in Jerusalem but arrived there now as the person responsible for its security, and received calls of "shame" as he walked nearby.
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"A man who compared us to animals – it is not desirable to be here. Is he guarding us? He is the same one who legislates laws against us," said some of the parade participants, who were outraged by the minister's arrival. Ben-Gvir himself stated when he arrived at the situation assessment discussion at the police committee: "In my role as Minister of National Security, I do and will do everything so that there will not be a crazy case, as was the case with the murder of teenager Shira Banki . We are committed and I want the hairs on the heads of those marchers to not be hurt, and the police are on full alert."
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Ben-Gvir emphasized: "My policy is to give freedom of expression to those who oppose the parade, even to those who speak against the parade, that is their right as long as they do not break the law and I told the police that I do not want to see here pictures of ultra-Orthodox or religious people being excluded from the streets of Jerusalem because they are religious, because they wear a kippah or because they wear skirts." He added: "Let there be no mistake for anyone, the first goal is to deal with terrorists and a terrorist who looks at the parade, for him we are all the same. Right, left, religious and secular, we are all brothers and our job on this day is to allow the parade and protest, this is democracy, this is the beautiful mosaic of the State of Israel and this is how I act as Minister of National Security."
A counter-demonstration was held near the parade and its thousands of participants consisting of about about 40 people, which was led by, among others, the founder of the racist Lehava organization, Bentzi Gopstein, who exclaimed: "This is not pride, this is abomination. There is no place for abomination in Jerusalem." The demonstrators carried signs that read, among other things: "No entry into the Holy Land," "Jerusalem is not Sodom" and "Don't give them children".
Before the start of the march, several politicians spoke to the thousands who gathered in Bell Park, including the chairman of the National Unity party, Benny Gantz, who said that he was asked why there is still a need to hold Pride parades, and replied: "We won't have to march in this parade when we will no longer need security; we won't need snipers and undercover police. We won't have to march when each and every one can walk in any neighborhood they want, holding hands like any couple. We won't have to march when gay will not be a curse in school but simply self-determination, when each and every one can fill out any government form according to what they are, not about, not next to, simply themselves."
After mentioning in his remarks the need for legislation that would enshrine the right to equality and the right of same-sex couples to marry in their country, Gantz turned to attack the current government: "We will not have to march when a prime minister in Israel would not think of giving the keys to the education system to a dark racist and allocating hundreds of millions to oversee liberal education programs. I am ashamed of this, and I tell you that even at the most difficult political cost, I will never do such a thing. We will not have to march when there are no racists in the government. Such people will be denounced and would not be elected officials, not because of the law – but because no one will want to choose them. We won't have to step when simple love won't be complicated or will be as complicated as any simple love."
Later, the chairman of the Labor Party, Merav Michaeli who at the start of her speech received chants of "go home," said "that is possible, but we are here to say that we are fighting for a world that will be safe for us even without needing the police to secure us. A world where it will be safe for each and every one to be who he is, who she is, who they are."
The head of the opposition, Yair Lapid, said that the struggle is "about what should be self-evident: father and father are family, mother and mother are family, every LGBTQ child everywhere deserves protection from violence and prejudice." According to Lapid, "this parade, this demonstration is our message to every such child, in the periphery and in the center: you are good as you are, you are loved as you are, we stand by your side, we will never stop fighting to protect your rights."
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Cries of 'Shame' followed National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir at the parade
(Photo: AFP)
Later in his speech, Lapid also attacked the government: "Bezalel Smotrich, Itamar Ben-Gvir, Avi Maoz, are trying to push us all back into the closet. Into the dark closet of their prejudices, into the dark closet of fear and hatred. They will not succeed."
Prior to the start of the parade, attorney and Deputy Mayor Yossi Havilio arrived at City Hall and attended a wedding ceremony in his office for six same-sex couples who signed a letter in which they express hope that more people will be able to hold similar ceremonies and feel comfortable.
"We hope this will encourage other LGBT couples to boldly stand here and do what we do," the newly wed couples said.
The first couple to get married in the office were Gil Yehoshua Dreyfus and Niv Abudaram. Both stood in the Deputy Mayor's office in Jerusalem, exchanged a few words, and signed a public form.
"This is a very significant milestone to do it here in Jerusalem," said Dreyfus.
"It's enjoyable to do it at home. We have children, but there are others who are struggling on their journey. We are fortunate. We hope that more people will be able to stand here and do what we are doing and feel comfortable," Abudaram added.
In the 24 hours before the start of the parade, police have apprehended three suspects who expressed threatening behavior toward the upcoming Pride parade. Two of the suspects were expelled from the city.