Israeli fetishists: We're not perverts

On Friday Tel Aviv convention center is set to host largest fetish party ever held in Israel. Organizers expect some 1,000 leather-wearing partygoers to attend event, but fear some who are not members of the community will attempt to crash party out of curiosity

Roee Mandel |Published: 12.25.06 , 00:50

The Israel Trade Fairs and Convention Center will transform Friday into an arena for an unusual event: The greatest fetish party ever held in Israel.

The halls, which are usually crowded with businessmen and politicians, will host this weekend stands offering chains, leather straps and whips. The party will also include fashion shows of models wearing French maid and nurse's uniforms, and a performance by a 'submissive' and a 'dominatrix'.

Emily, the party's organizer, estimates that the event will be the biggest of its kind ever to be held in the Middle East. "We expect about a thousand people to arrive at the place. I'm worried that in addition, many people who are not related to the community will come out of curiosity, after it was reported that a mass orgy is planned," she said.

"I would like to stress that sex is not the point of the party, but people who like different kinds of fetish," she added.

Emily clarified that people who are not part of the scene will be denied entrance, saying, "We don't want people who think we are perverts to come in."

According to Emily, some 8,000 people in Israel belong to the fetish community. "The problem is that we are still being treated like gays were treated 20 years ago, people call us perverts and look at us as if we were freaks. Everybody has a fetish, including shy people. There are men who like high heels, women's feet, women who like men with tattoos, and much more bizarre things."

'A whole philosophy behind fetishism'

"People from the community are outraged by the way they are being portrayed… It must be understood that the members of this community are very high-quality people, with an above-average education. These are people who decided to go a little beyond and explore their sexuality, and there's a whole philosophy behind it. We have doctors and lawyers in our community," she stated.

Morgan Le-Fay (false name), a mother of two with a doctorate in media studies and four other academic degrees, who works as spokesperson for several organizations, becomes a dominatrix when night falls.

"This is a way to break free from the chains of everyday life and feel liberated… I like it when the slave develops a strong mental dependence on me. I am also fond of 2-3 kinds of whips and enjoy whipping immensely," she said.

Morgan protests the way in which the community is usually portrayed. "Even the most ordinary couples use handcuffs and it's considered normal… there's nothing wrong with it, it's only entertainment to spice up the sex… this is the hottest thing in the Tel Aviv scene today," she stated, noting that many celebrities can be spotted in fetish clubs.