LGBT community stands up to Bennett during speech
At an event at the Tel-Hai Academic College in northern Israel, LGBT students interrupt Bayit Yehudi leader Bennett's speech with whistles and shouts.
Despite reports of some religious gays supporting Naftali Bennett and his Bayit Yehudi party, other members of the gay community still vehemently oppose the party's views regarding the LGBT community in Israel, as was seen when gay members interrupted the politican's speech on Thursday.
At a meeting with students at the Tel-Hai Academic College in northern Israel, students stood up and waved a gay flag and signs that read "words can kill," "We have love and it will win," and "David loved Jonathon and they did not apologize" during Bennett's speech.
The crowd continued to shout and whistle – another milestone in the gay community's protest of the policies of the Bayit Yehudi party.
Noa Abramson was among those that showed up at Bennett's talk with a shirt that read "I am a lesbian and I won't apologize."
Abramson said to Ynet, "Ever since the attack at the gay nightclub in Tel Aviv the LGBT community woke up and understood that it needs to take responsibility, that we must activitely stand up to stop the shedding of blood of LGBT youth, stop staying silent against homophobic remarks made by politicians who stand at the head of the nation and are supposed to be an example."
The stance of the Bayit Yehudi party and remarks made by its members about the LGBT community, along with the inclusion of Bezalel Smotrich into the party - Smotrich organized the 'Beast Parade' alongside the annual pride parade in Jerusalem in 2006 - distance supporters of the party from voting Bayit Yehudi again.
When asked about the parade in 2006, Smotrich said: "I organized it when I was young and stupid. Now I regret it."
Niro Koren, a lesbian chef who considers herself right-wing said: "In the last election I voted for Bennett. Now, because of the radical comments made by Bayit Yehudi members who compare us to beasts, my heart hurts. I will not vote for Bayit Yehudi a second time."
Chen Atia from Netanya said: "Bennett is a mask. We see him as a nice and smiling man, but at the end of the day those who matter in Bayit Yehudi are a group of rabbis. They don't care about the wider public. They only care about the orthodox community."
Natan Shragai, 19, said: "I'm straight but my sexual orientation does not necessarily relate to my political views. My parents and grandparents grew up in a time when homosexuals and lesbians were not accepted. But we grew up in a new period. Bennett is probably from the older generation who do not accept it. He's also a religious man and believes it is not allowed."
