Jerusalem Pride Parade 2008
Photo: Gil Yohanan
Gaydamak. Would die
Photo: Dudi Vaaknin
Gay rights group lodges official complaint against Gaydamak
In response to mayoral candidate's announcement that Pride Parade would take place in Jerusalem 'over his dead body', Jerusalem Open House turns to police, explaining that similar statements have previously caused stabbing of marchers
Arcadi Gaydamak, who is currently running for the office of mayor of Jerusalem, expressed a resolved stance on Monday against the holding of the annual Pride Parade in the capital's streets.
Earlier Gaydamak announced, "When I'm elected mayor, I would die before allowing the pride parade to be held in Jerusalem." This prompted the rights organization head Jonathan Ger to tell Ynet, "When a public figure says he would die before allowing the Pride Parade to take place it is an invitation to others to do as he does.
Ynet has discovered that since then Jerusalem's Open House, which fights for equal rights for gays in Israel, has already lodged an official complaint against the controversial businessman with Jerusalem Police.
Dying for the Parade
Israeli-Russian businessman explains homosexuals cannot march on streets of holy city. 'The streets of Jerusalem are a symbol, and parading on them is an aggressive act against tradition,' he says
"In 2005, following similar calls, the provocation caused the stabbing of three marchers."
The mayoral candidate was speaking during a conference held by the Bikur Holim hospital owned by him. "They want to be proud? They're allowed to. They want to demonstrate? Fine. But the streets of Jerusalem are a symbol, and parading on them would be an aggressive act against our tradition, against our values and against our morale," he said.
"I would lie on the ground in order to block the march and would even die before I approve the pride parade in the city."
Addressing the fact that the pride parade was eventually held in the capital in recent years despite the fact that the current mayor is an ultra-Orthodox man, Gaydamak stated that "(Mayor Uri) Lupolianski acted like a politician rather than a human being. His image was more important to him than the city's tradition."
