LGBT Task Force and Anti-Israel Sentiment

I cannot begin to tell you how outraged I am at the actions of the LGBT Task Force to cancel a reception that would include two representatives from the Jerusalem Open House, co-sponsored by A Wider Bridge, citing "safety and security concerns," but really because of pressure from the left, who are anti-Israel.

How can groups who so openly reject discrimination ignore the issues that GLBT Israelis, Israeli Arabs, and Palestinians face to be themselves in Israel?

Israeli society is not as black and white as the left makes it out to be. Yes, there are problems, but would the same group refuse an organization from Iran, Syria, or China who support GLBTQ individuals on the basis that they disagree with politics of those countries? Why focus on Israel?

I am deeply disappointed to hear this news, especially after living in Israel, learning much about social justice there, and being a queer Jew myself.

Just like the US, the society is incredibly complex, and there are representatives in the government that disagree on the way Israel should run. Is that any reason to cancel a reception?

The Deputy Executive Director of the National LGBTQ Task Force gave this statement concerning the reception's cancellation:

“We cancelled the event as we were concerned about the possibility of this reception becoming intensely divisive rather than a casual and fun social event,” he said.

Too many people are emotionally involved when it comes to Israel, and I get that, but can we not simply have a reception and hear from someone about work that addresses the GLBTQ community in Israel? Does the entire discussion of Israel have to move off the table because some people are full of hate?

Last year, I spoke about how in queer communities, I feel too Jewish, and in Jewish communities, I feel too queer. This is a situation where I feel like I must reject my alignment with the queer community (or the LGBTQ Task Force) because they are saying I can't be passionate about Israel and Israeli society AND be queer at the same time. This is what this feels like to me.