Religious MKs: Pride parade intolerable

Religious Knesset members convene in bid to thwart Gay Pride Parade in Jerusalem
Kobi Nahshoni

A group of mostly religious and ultra-Orthodox Knesset members convened at parliament Wednesday, declaring that "the Gay Pride Parade in Jerusalem is intolerable.”

The pride parade in the capital is scheduled to be held on June 20th, prompting the MKs to convene in a bid to thwart it.

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The special meeting included MKs from National Union-NRP, Shas and from United Torah Judaism. The National Union-NRP’s Uri Ariel, who initiated the meeting, was disappointed by the absence of Arab MKs and by the presence of only one secular Knesset member.

The meeting’s participants decided on a list of parliamentary, judicial and public measures to be adopted in order to prevent the Gay Pride Parade from being held as planned.

Among other things, the group of MKs is considering taking the issue to the High Court, organizing dozens of demonstrations parallel to the parade, and accelerating discussions on proposals to amend the Basic Law: Jerusalem in a way that would prevent from taking place.

In the upcoming days, the Knesset members will demand an urgent discussion on the subject at the Knesset Constitution Committee.

The Action Committee stated that last year more than 60 MKs signed on a call opposing similar parades in Jerusalem, including members from the Kadima and Labor parties.

MK Uri Ariel also turned to Aharon Franko, commander of the Jerusalem District Police in a demand to cancel the parade's permit. “The existence of the parade is a blatant provocation against millions of Jews, Arabs and Christians around the world,” Ariel said in his letter.

“The parade contradicts Jerusalem’s spirit and conflicts with the desires of 99% of its inhabitants (according to an official survey.) There is no wonder that it is causing severe turmoil, and is liable to provoke the holy city’s residents yet again,” he added.

“Because this is such a special year in which Israel is celebrating 60 years of existence and 40 years to the unification of Jerusalem, a parade like this will cause double the damage, especially since Jerusalem is full of cultural figures from around the world,” Ariel wrote.

During Wednesday’s meeting, he also said that “the reality of a Gay Pride Parade is unacceptable to most of Jerusalem’s public...at least let Jerusalem live in peace.”