ISRAEL: Hundreds rather than thousands of LGBT people and their friends took part in Jerusalem’s 13th annual Gay Pride parade, Sept. 18 after the event was postponed not once but twice, reports GayAsiaNews.com
The event had to be postponed once due to the Israel Defense Forces’ 50-day offensive in the Gaza Strip when Hamas fired numerous missiles at Israel, including a number that fell in Jerusalem.
The parade was also postponed due to a controversial July 20 Facebook post published by Elinor Sidi executive director of Jerusalem Open House, the most prominent local LGBTQ activist organization and parade sponsor. Sidi had called on citizens to burn down the Knesset and military headquarters as well exhorted soldiers to disobey orders.
Judging from social media posts, many in the LGBT community were offended by her remarks.
The Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Meir Turgeman also filed a police complaint against Sidi, accusing her of inciting violence against the state. Sidi later apologized.
The parade started in the evening across from Jerusalem’s Liberty Bell Park and ended in Independence Park.
Hundreds of police officers secured the parade which was attended by significantly fewer people than in previous years, according to timesofisrael.com.
The Jerusalem Pride parade was originally scheduled for late June and is traditionally held in the middle of the day and usually attracts many thousands of participants. However, when the parade was finally held, only a few hundred members of the LGBT community bothered to show up.
