Israel's Government Is Afraid of LGBT Community

Emilie Moatti, haaretz.com

Image from article, with caption: A man waves a flag as the Gay Pride Parade passes in the streets of Tel Aviv on June 3, 2016.

Life under right-wing rule is divided in two: reality and the image of reality. Or, according to the idiotic Israeli terminology, reality and public diplomacy.

Reality requires a constant struggle against a real or imagined enemy, closing ranks and drawing a clear line between good and bad, between them and us. Those are the basic principles of an authoritarian regime. But this regime, which ostensibly scorns what the world says about it, is obsessed with how it appears from the outside. That’s why it needs the democratic image, the inclusive, pluralistic image.

For example, the High Court of Justice was about to hold a session on adoption for gay couples. In a rare move, even state prosecutors are refusing to cooperate with the government on this issue.

Given the right-wing government’s hysteria, which is reflected not only by its wacky, tone-deaf legislation like the adoption law but also by its panicked interviews in the middle of the night, along with the brigades of keyboard soldiers in the government’s service belting out hate-filled, humiliating comments on elected officials’ behalf, the people’s chosen found their way to the gay issue, which has been the hit of hasbara (“public diplomacy” officially, “propaganda” unofficially).

The government is afraid of the LGBT community. It knows the gays are right and have the advantage. In fact, the gays have won, because as we know, the most effective diplomatic weapon against the international community’s claims about Israeli democracy is the gay community. They are the front. Every diplomacy course graduate knows it. If attacked, tell them about the gay community, tell them about accepting, inclusive Tel Aviv and that in Israel there are anti-Zionist Arab MKs. Show the hostile world how wonderful we are, a dream palace in the jungle. ...