2006 Jerusalem gay pride parade
Encyclopedia
The 2006 Jerusalem gay pride parade was a scheduled event which took place on November 10, 2006. The demonstration was met with violent counter-demonstrators.
takes place in Tel Aviv
, Israel
and sometimes also in Eilat. Tel Aviv had previously been the venue for the only yearly gay pride parade in the Middle East
. Tel Aviv was first city in Israel to have a gay pride parade, which started in the street of Shenkin and expanded to large-scale events in the following years. In 2005, 100,000 people participated in the Tel Aviv gay pride parade.
The Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance
(JOH) is the focal point of gay pride events in Jerusalem and exists since 1997. Since 2002, it held small annual gay pride parades in Jerusalem (up to 10,000 people).
On June 30, 2005, the parade took place after it had originally been prohibited by a municipal ban, which was cancelled by the district court order. During the parade, a young muslim man wounded three parade participants with a kitchen knife.
event held each year in different capitals or large cities of the world will come to Jerusalem. The 22nd annual conference of InterPride, held in October 2003 in Montreal
, Canada
with over 150 delegates from 51 cities from around the world in attendance, voted to accept the bid of the Jerusalem Open House to host WorldPride 2006 in the Holy City.http://www.worldpride.net/index.php?id=241
The parade was scheduled for the 6th of August and received harsh objection from Israeli religious circles from the offshoot. It was eventually cancelled due to the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
, but a week of events did take place as scheduled and included five conferences, a film festival, exhibitions, and literary and political events.http://www.worldpride.net/index.php The parade itself was cancelled but the Jerusalem Open House announced that it would hold a parade on November 10 after reaching an agreement with the police and with the municipality.http://www.worldpride.net/index.php?id=1231
Virulent opposition from Haredi
and other Orthodox Jewish corners as well as from the Israeli Arab sector has led many to believe that unless the gay pride parade was canceled, a violent outcome would be unavoidable. Others who came out against the parade include Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Shlomo Amar
.
The main opposition from the Haredi Jewish sector was organized by the Edah HaChareidis rabbinical organization. On 18 October, Rabbis from across the Orthodox spectrum called for the parade to be forbidden. Rabbi Ovadia Yosef
, who was one of the first to express his opposition, called for a "demonstration of a million".
Well-known right-wing activists Baruch Marzel
, Itamar Ben Gvir and Hillel Weiss
called for a 'holy war' against the parade and announced that unless the parade were cancelled, it would lead to violence. The organizers of the parade filed a police complaint against them, accusing them of incitement to murder.
On the night of Thursday 2 November, a demonstration in Meah Shearim led to rioting. Thousands of protesters blocked roads with burning garbage cans, and police responded in force, sending hundreds of Yassam riot police and Border Police
armed with baton
s, water cannon
s and horses. Seven policemen and an unknown number of protestors were wounded. Haredi spokesmen strongly spoke out against the police for using an "excessive level of violence".
The organizers, of the Jerusalem Open House
organization made plans to deal with contingencies including multiple wounded and dead. However, the parade was eventually held with no casualties. http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2006/11/21/israel_orders_gay_marriage_recognition/
approved legislation to prevent further parades in Jerusalem, and in response Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
's office released a statement that he "does not think that Jerusalem is the appropriate location for holding gay-pride parades due to the special sensitive nature of the city, although he believes that such matters should not be limited by law." . The legislation was again introduced in 2008, but again did not become law, and in June 2008 the Israeli High Court denied petitions to stop gay pride parades in Jerusalem, and a parade was held in 2008 and in 2009.
, and Chutzpa Productions
produced the 45-minute documentary short Pride.
Background
Since the 1990s an annual gay pride paradeGay pride parade
Pride parades for the LGBT community are events celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender culture. The events also at times serve as demonstrations for legal rights such as same-sex marriage...
takes place in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and sometimes also in Eilat. Tel Aviv had previously been the venue for the only yearly gay pride parade in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. Tel Aviv was first city in Israel to have a gay pride parade, which started in the street of Shenkin and expanded to large-scale events in the following years. In 2005, 100,000 people participated in the Tel Aviv gay pride parade.
The Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance
Jerusalem Open House
The Jerusalem Open House Pride and Tolerance is a grassroots, activist organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender people and their allies...
(JOH) is the focal point of gay pride events in Jerusalem and exists since 1997. Since 2002, it held small annual gay pride parades in Jerusalem (up to 10,000 people).
On June 30, 2005, the parade took place after it had originally been prohibited by a municipal ban, which was cancelled by the district court order. During the parade, a young muslim man wounded three parade participants with a kitchen knife.
The 2006 Event
In 2006 it was announced that the WorldPrideWorldPride
WorldPride, organised by InterPride, is an event that promotes lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues on an international level through parades, festivals and other cultural activities. Founded by Paul Stenson. From 2014, the 45th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, the event will be held...
event held each year in different capitals or large cities of the world will come to Jerusalem. The 22nd annual conference of InterPride, held in October 2003 in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
with over 150 delegates from 51 cities from around the world in attendance, voted to accept the bid of the Jerusalem Open House to host WorldPride 2006 in the Holy City.http://www.worldpride.net/index.php?id=241
The parade was scheduled for the 6th of August and received harsh objection from Israeli religious circles from the offshoot. It was eventually cancelled due to the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
The 2006 Lebanon War, also called the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War and known in Lebanon as the July War #Other uses|Tammūz]]) and in Israel as the Second Lebanon War , was a 34-day military conflict in Lebanon, northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied territories. The principal parties were Hezbollah...
, but a week of events did take place as scheduled and included five conferences, a film festival, exhibitions, and literary and political events.http://www.worldpride.net/index.php The parade itself was cancelled but the Jerusalem Open House announced that it would hold a parade on November 10 after reaching an agreement with the police and with the municipality.http://www.worldpride.net/index.php?id=1231
Opposition
Haredi Judaism
Haredi or Charedi/Chareidi Judaism is the most conservative form of Orthodox Judaism, often referred to as ultra-Orthodox. A follower of Haredi Judaism is called a Haredi ....
and other Orthodox Jewish corners as well as from the Israeli Arab sector has led many to believe that unless the gay pride parade was canceled, a violent outcome would be unavoidable. Others who came out against the parade include Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Shlomo Amar
Shlomo Amar
Rabbi Shlomo Moshe Amar has been the Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel and the Rishon LeZion since his appointment in 2003. His colleague is Rabbi Yona Metzger, the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel....
.
The main opposition from the Haredi Jewish sector was organized by the Edah HaChareidis rabbinical organization. On 18 October, Rabbis from across the Orthodox spectrum called for the parade to be forbidden. Rabbi Ovadia Yosef
Ovadia Yosef
Ovadia Yosef is the former Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel, a recognised Talmudic scholar and foremost halakhic authority.He currently serves as the spiritual leader of the Shas political party in the Israeli parliament...
, who was one of the first to express his opposition, called for a "demonstration of a million".
Well-known right-wing activists Baruch Marzel
Baruch Marzel
Baruch Meir Marzel is an Israeli politician. Marzel, an American-born Orthodox Jew, lives in the Jewish community of Hebron in Tel Rumeida with his wife and nine children. He is the leader of the Religious Zionism-orientated Jewish National Front party...
, Itamar Ben Gvir and Hillel Weiss
Hillel Weiss
Hillel Weiss is a professor of literature at Bar Ilan University in Israel.-Academic career:Hillel Weiss is a tenured professor at the Joseph & Norman Berman Department of Literature of the Jewish People, Faculty of Jewish Studies, Bar-llan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel...
called for a 'holy war' against the parade and announced that unless the parade were cancelled, it would lead to violence. The organizers of the parade filed a police complaint against them, accusing them of incitement to murder.
On the night of Thursday 2 November, a demonstration in Meah Shearim led to rioting. Thousands of protesters blocked roads with burning garbage cans, and police responded in force, sending hundreds of Yassam riot police and Border Police
Israel Border Police
The Israel Border Police is the gendarmerie and border security branch of the Israel National Police. It is also commonly known by its Hebrew abbreviation Magav , meaning border guard, whilst its members are colloquially known as Magavnikim . Border Guard is often used as the official name of the...
armed with baton
Club (weapon)
A club is among the simplest of all weapons. A club is essentially a short staff, or stick, usually made of wood, and wielded as a weapon since prehistoric times....
s, water cannon
Water cannon
A water cannon is a device that shoots a high-pressure stream of water. Typically, a water cannon can deliver a large volume of water, often over dozens of metres / hundreds of feet. They are used in firefighting and riot control. Most water cannon fall under the category of a fire...
s and horses. Seven policemen and an unknown number of protestors were wounded. Haredi spokesmen strongly spoke out against the police for using an "excessive level of violence".
The organizers, of the Jerusalem Open House
Jerusalem Open House
The Jerusalem Open House Pride and Tolerance is a grassroots, activist organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender people and their allies...
organization made plans to deal with contingencies including multiple wounded and dead. However, the parade was eventually held with no casualties. http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2006/11/21/israel_orders_gay_marriage_recognition/
Aftermath
In 2007, the Israeli KnessetKnesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
approved legislation to prevent further parades in Jerusalem, and in response Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
Ehud Olmert
Ehud Olmert is an Israeli politician and lawyer. He served as Prime Minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009, as a Cabinet Minister from 1988 to 1992 and from 2003 to 2006, and as Mayor of Jerusalem from 1993 to 2003....
's office released a statement that he "does not think that Jerusalem is the appropriate location for holding gay-pride parades due to the special sensitive nature of the city, although he believes that such matters should not be limited by law." . The legislation was again introduced in 2008, but again did not become law, and in June 2008 the Israeli High Court denied petitions to stop gay pride parades in Jerusalem, and a parade was held in 2008 and in 2009.
In Film
Two films have been made about this event. Nitzan Giladi directed the 80-minute documentary Jerusalem Is Proud to PresentJerusalem Is Proud to Present
Jerusalem Is Proud to Present is a 2008 documentary film directed by Nitzan Gilady about the 2006 World Pride Festival, an LGBT festival held in Jerusalem. It follows the lives of members of the Open House, Jerusalem's LGBT community center, who are planning the events, thr threats they and their...
, and Chutzpa Productions
Chutzpa Productions
Chutzpa Productions Inc. is a producer of documentary films.- History :In 1999 Igal Hecht created Chutzpa Productions.. To date Chutzpa Productions Inc...
produced the 45-minute documentary short Pride.
See also
- Homosexuality and JudaismHomosexuality and JudaismThe subject of homosexuality in Judaism dates back to the Torah, in the books of Bereshit and Vayiqra. Bereshit treats the destruction of the cities of Sedom and Amorrah by God...
- Queers Undermining Israeli Terrorism
- 2006 in LGBT rights