Maybe because they are cowards. I wrote the next in another article.. What does the Mayor of Jerusalem have to say about that? Wouldn't be the case to say NO to such event,once it clearly bring strife among people? Do people need to get nervous and anguished because a small group want to push to others,by force, their intimate particularities ? What do others have to do with that?Or why do others have to know these people are gay? Why do they need to push that to others? This is ( very )insane and shameless,in my opinion. (these people NEED to push to others their own sickness-and seek for "adepts"-,to try to prove to themseves they are somehow right,and that they are not the depraved they trully are)

Very well written article. I fully agree.

It is clear that even though you refrain from admitting the underlying truth to the public and possibly also to yourself, that you are threatened by the gay community, not just the march. The fact that you accuse them of "trying to prove" something is offensive and says to me that you are threatened by it. Instead of criticising them or the march itself, you criticise the way they do it and how and where. Let them be! If gays were not rejected in this world then this wouldn't even make the news. It is obvious to me that they choose not to march in arab areas because they fear for their lives/safety! They are not trying to offend anyone as you accuse them of offending jews instead of arabs, grow up! They are not trying to prove, they are trying to be. The only way to get heard in this world is to make yourself heard. I assume that they also feel more of a belonging to the jewish community because they are part of it. So keep your prejudice to yourself Friedman, you only embaress yourself. Instead of judging others, I suggest taking a look at yourself.

Your article is completely wrong. 1) It is fully understandable that for security reasons it is better to march in a relatively "safe environment", in this case, West Jerusalem; 2) You admit that some people (or even the majority) might be offended and it would be better not to march, but right that is the point. The marches are organized in order to become more visible, a march is the best act. It shows that gay people enjoy their lives and are not "ill" at all, as some might believe. Even in a very free country like The Netherlands such events are held each year.

the whole gay pride thing is nonsense. perhaps there is nothing to be ashamed of if you are homosexual but there's obviously nothing to be proud of. What does GAY mean. It comes from 60's slogans Good As You. OK, so a homosexual can say 'I'm as good as you' but is that something to have a march about or something to be proud of? And if people want to have a march then why do it where they are really not wanted and where they will seriously offend people? A march in Jerusalem will only lose the gay commmunity sympathy.

first of all, great article. i firmly believe anyone and any group has the right to peacefully protest in israel. even (and especially) if the protest just makes the protestors look idiotic and hypocritical. let the actions and words of idiots speak for themselves! second, honestone, you wrote several things worth dissecting: "Let them be! If gays were not rejected in this world then this wouldn't even make the news." this is preposterous. gays are not rejected in israel and least of all by mainstream jews in israel or anywhere else. for gays to attack mainstream israel is even dumber than blacks attacking jews in brooklyn back in the 90s. gays and jews have a lot in common ... ie: being everyone's favorite scapegoat. for one scapegoat to attack another, is totally stupid. don't you realize just how much the arabs and other anti-gay activists are sitting back and laughing at the gay community's inane behavior, while the same gays ignore the real source of gay-hate in israel: the arabs (especially palestinian arabs) in israel. "It is obvious to me that they choose not to march in arab areas because they fear for their lives/safety!" thank you. you just proved the article's point. the gay community is being hypocritical by protesting in the "safe" areas where they are NOT hated. the gay community is showing the same kind of hypocrisy that we see in many anti-israel protests. they protest where it is easy to do so. they don't have the cajones to protest where it would make a better point. arabs commonly abuse and murder gays. israel does not reject gays. i served with gay soldiers in the IDF, and they served with honor and were well respected by all. and when i did witness verbal abuse of gay soldiers, not only were they appropriately reprimanded, but the gays themselves rejected the haters quite sufficiently and with dignity. i highly doubt those same gay soldiers would bother to support this lame gay march. if you believe in gay rights and believe there are people repressing gays in israel, go protest at the doorsteps of those who are being hateful, rather than trying to make israelis upset for your wrongful, callous and ignoble actions and policies. if you want to stop being bullied in israel, protest against the bullies, specifically the arabs who openly hate gays. protesting against the society which tolerates you is idiotic, and if you don't see that, then i consider you an idiot on this matter. "They are not trying to offend anyone as you accuse them of offending jews instead of arabs, grow up!" this is patently ridiculous. how are the gays NOT offending tolerant judaism and israelis by only marching in the safety/comfort zone of the jewish areas of jerusalem? how exactly are gays not being shamelessly biased and cowardly by not protesting in the "danger" zones where in fact hate agaisnt gays is not only common, it is the cultural norm? if anyone has to grow up here, it's the extremist gay activists who are being unreasonable and can't answer a straight question (no pun intended) about the choice of the march's path. "They are not trying to prove, they are trying to be." really? that's interesting. gays "are" already. gays "are" in leading roles in practically every sector of israeli society. i don't see frequent, open murder and humiliation against gays in israel. do you? where? stick the the facts, and not to hyperbole, please. there are no laws specifically against gays in israel. the whole topic is pedantic and symbolizes the petty needs of "gay activists" who apparently have no life other than to complain, and apparently have all the time in the world to do that, as long as its "comfortable" or "safe" to do so. wussies. gays "are not" welcome in arab society. if you want to try "to be" within a society that actually does actively hate gays, try protesting amid the space where the haters are. shalom.

Let's put an end to this liberal terror: 50% of adolescents (males at least) experience some form of homosexual tendency (the other 50% are probably liers). If this tendency is encouraged it develops; if not, it passes in the majority of cases. But in our macho society, few are willing to admit this. This fact is exploited by liberal terrorists to the extent that homosexual coercion now appears to exist in "avant garde" society, in a form that can be compared to smoking several decades ago: If you don't do it, you are not "in".

Friedman is calling them on their HYPOCRACY its politically correct to allow arabs to get away with being culturally backward, inhumane, and reactionary... that's why they don't get blamed for violating the geneva convention

if it is understandable that the march be in western jerusalem only because of "security reasons" (note that you are admitting that arabs are violent) then perhaps if enough ultra-orthodox jews threaten violence, then the march will be cancelled there as well. security, n'est pas?

This is not the time for parades of any sort, We have just been through another war. Soldiers and civilians have been killed and injured and again, the country is divided. Not now please. The point about tolerance and the Arab community is valid but Islam is violently homophobic and the Christian Arab community has sided with the Ultra Orthodox and homophobes in trying to stop the Gay Pride Parade in Jerusalem. We also cannot condone the behavior of our Arab "Citizens" during the war and the East Jerusalem Arabs associate themselves with the Palestinians and their hatred of Israel. Do not divide the country further with the Parade. Let is lick our wounds, respect our fallen, hope for the safe return of our kidnapped soldiers, Gilad, Udi, and Eldad and resume the normal killing of one another on the roads, by violence and by smoking. Then we can have a Gay Pride Parade with Pride!

This gay pride stuff is just ridiculous. Who's worried about people being gay or not? I never thought a "Straight pride march" was necessary. Gays say marriage is completely old fashioned but they want to marry. They think heterosexuality is horrible but they want kids. What the hell do they want?

This is "In your face Parade" in my view. Why having chosen our holy city for this? there are lots of other cities, Tel Aviv would have been a good choice if they had to have their parade.

Hi Abraham, I am not gay, but someone who is very close to me is. I think that your post here is a lot of generalizations, without much to back it up. I get the impression that you are just "parroting" a lot of misconceptions voiced by others. By saying "they" constantly, you already leave no opening whatsoever for anyone who is gay to feel she/he is just a regular part of society, and therefore, would have no need for such things as "Gay Pride Week" or parades. So, you just answered your own questions. Seems that "they" do need to remind society that gay women and men are very much a part of the rest of humanity, even though there are plenty, in fact, too many, people who do not and will not accept them. Of course hetrosexuals do not have to go to any efforts to assert their identity. Isn't it clear by what you write, that you, and most of the rest of the uninformed and conservative thinkers agree, that "they" are NOT part of society??? Who says "they" think that "hetrosexuality is horrible"??? How many gays have you asked? Sorry, the ones I know are just fine with me, and even folks like you. They don't really care, in fact, because all "they" really want, Abraham, is to be an integral part of our close-minded, PC society. Of course they want to marry, why shouldn't they? What do you think they are, life forms from another galaxy? "They",as it turns out, are wonderful parents. Why should they be otherwise??? You are (sadly) so ignorant, and your words do nothing more than incite yet more gays to try and demonstrate their pride in themselves as human beings, but even more sadly, chances are, that someone like you will never accept them as such. What do "they" want? Same things as you and me... To live their lives in peace, work, have fun, go on vacation, and be able to kiss or hug in public. They also like to eat, sleep, make love, buy clothes, and do other "heterosexual" stuff. To tell you the truth, I personally have more of a problem with macho, chauvinistic, narrow-minded, and clueless HETEROSEXUAL MEN than I do with any of the wonderful gay folks that I know. I hope that I have answered your query.

I have to admit that I only read your talkback after I wrote mine ( in response to # 16 - hasn't been approved yet). I think you are absolutely right. This is definitely not the right time for parades of any sort. Your talkback is eloquently written and intelligent. I think there is no more to add on the subject, as you have summed it up beautifully. Thank you.

Lets make one thing clear. Their is no such thing in this world as a homosexual- just as their is no such thing as a hetersexual. Their are homosexual acts and heterosexual acts. It is absurd to define someone by a sexual act the commit. The real agenda of the parade is to say loud and clear that homosexual acts are fine and normal and anyone who commits them should be able to celebrate them. This is the problem. Sin is Sin, not because i say so but because the torah says so. The parade is wrong becasue it is directly challenging hashems law and claiming that torahs law is wrong. And it is attempting to make this statement in Hashems holy city. Lets settle this once and for their is not such thing as being gay. homosexuality simply means you commit a sexual act with someone of the same sex, it does not make you a distinct minority. ofcourse knowone should be attacked with violence for sinning and everyones rights should be protected. But dont come to the holy city and tell us sin is not sin and torah law is not truth

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY? "If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them." (Leviticus 20:13) "A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman's garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the LORD your God." (Deuteronomy 22:5) "Do you not know that the unrighteous will NOT inherit the Kingdom of God" Do not be decevied. NEITHER fornicators, (sexually immoral) NOR adulterers, NOR homosexuals, NOR sodomites, NOR thieves, ... will inherit the Kingdom of God. And such WERE some of you ['Repent' means 'stop and turn back to God'] But you were washed [by the righteous blood of Jesus-Yeshua shed for our sins] But you were sanctified [means "set apart"] But you were justified [justified means 'just as if your sin had never happened'] in the Name of the Lord Jesus-Yeshua and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Corinthians 6:9-11) The Bible ALSO warns those who just 'APPROVE' of those ... "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men . . . For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature [lesbianism]. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burning in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful [homosexuality] . . . that those who practice these things are worthy of death [Hell], and NOT ONLY those who do the same but ALSO [THOSE] WHO APPROVE of those who practice them!" (Rom 1:18, 26, 27, 32) Here, God clearly warns all those who simply "approve of " these things with their great "open-mindedness" will be held JUST AS ACCOUNTABLE as those who actually do them. Who loves the homosexual more? The Christian (a follower of Jesus-Yeshua, the Messiah of Israel) is commanded to 'love others and treat them as we would want to be treated.' According to the Bible, a person living in homosexual sin "will not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven" and those who "approve of those who do such things" will be held just as guilty. Jesus-Yeshua, the Messiah's first command was to 'repent' (turn away from those things which are in opposition to God's Law) and then to trust in Him alone to save us from all our sins. He said He came to 'save sinners' ... lots of them ... both Jew and Gentile ... any who would believe and trust in Him. The Bible warns until we acknowledge we are sinners and that we desperately need a Savior (to save us from our sins ... past, present, and future) we won't be saved from Hell. So, who loves the homosexual more? One who tells them it's okay to continue in a sin the Bible warns will condemn them to an eternity in Hell, or someone who is willing to endure the anger, ridicule, and hate to warn them and to try to get them into Heaven as a neighbor? In Proverbs 27:6 God says, 'Faithful are the wounds of a friend ... but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.' Jesus-Yeshua said more about Hell than He did about Heaven ... and the true believing Christian will try to get as many boys, girls, men, and women into the Kingdom of Heaven as possible. If a Christian truly hated the homosexual (or anyone willfully sinning against God's law) they would simply keep silent and let them suffer in the eternal darkness, loneliness, and torment of Hell after they die. Yet, all believing Christians have had to come face-to-face with the fact we are all sinners and desperately need a 'Savior' to save us from our sins and from Hell. Jesus-Yeshua, the Messiah, commands us to 'love our enemies' ... and you can't love someone without warning them when they are in great and grave danger ... Grace and Shalom, www.alphanewsdaily.com www.theprophecies.com

the israeli gay march is just that. israeli. perhaps the organizers of the march respect that arab east jerusalem is actually not their country. your disdain for homosexuals is obvious - "shame"?- and it seems, axiomatically, that your desire to re-route the march would be a convenient way to join them with another group of people for whom you are no less disdainful.

Gay guys. Why do you or anyone feel the public need to discuss your sex etc. Straights don't. You have your rights and basic acceptance. Move on,stop antagonizing and live responsibly.

I can fully undestand Ms Sattath's reluctance to offend Arabs while being happy to offend Jews. This is after all a common worldwide viewpoint. There's a clear parallel with London, of course, where Ken Livingstone - who has made a show of his support for the gay community - has notoriously hosted virulently anti-gay (and antisemitic) Muslim clerics. Islam always takes top priority.

The parade will go forward. But it's other gay people whom the JOH is trying to reach. Proving anything to or asking for acceptance from the likes of you is quite beyond the point. We don't need you. We have plenty of family and friends who accept and love us as we are. I can say that as a gay man in my 40's I am glad gay people who came before me stood up to be counted. It taught me that I am not the abomination that others would have had me believe. The willingness of gay people in the 1960's and 1970's to fight the battles that JOH is fighting now, made my life so much happier. So go ahead, Jerusalem gays. Fight for your right to march. Prove something. But prove it to other gay people who need to hear your voices. Kol ha'kavod. To others, simply remind them that they are free to stay home for a few hours while you enjoy your freedom in a democratic Israel.

My Friends, Let there not be a mis understanding between my words and their meaning. As i am a faithfull Torah Jew my values clearly dictate that homosexual acts are forbidden. But this is a secular state that we live in - as full fledged citazins - and so we have to deal with the pros and cons. There are goverments subsides for large charedi familyes (shrinking by the budget, but thats beside the point) and theres a basic acceptence of homosexuality. This has not been a problem. how many charedi/gay hate crimes accur a year? obviously there has been a mutal understanding that gays dont antaganize those that would be antaganized and the charedim wont go to tell aviv. so a gay pride march in jerusalem would only achieve the oppisatye of the goal they aspire to. for it will shake the fragile "mutal understanding" and stir up tension and even fustration, a deadly mix for a religious confrontation. They are making matters worse is my point.

Hey Andy, It's nice to hear you have plenty of family and friends who love you as you are. Nobody hates you because you're gay. I would never discriminate a person on sexual grounds. The only thing I don't understand is why do you need to march? What is the point?

You speak the truth. I am dati AND pro-gay and feel very strongly about two points: 1.) it sure is a whole lot easier to 'protest' against a society that already accepts you and to do so on the doorstep of your own brother, whom you don't mind offending. a great deal easier than 'offending' the arabs who wouldn't think twice about injuring and/or killing you! for being who you are. The religious Jews, believe it or not, still love you, as you are their fellow Jews. They just have very strong feelings against your lifestyle as the religion dictates that it is not a Torah lifestyle. 2.) the gay issue aside, how offensive is it, when we have a parade of people, who are provocatively dressed, with whips/chains/drag customes behaving in a manner that is extremely inappropriate with children and older adults around, let alone RELIGIOUS children and older adults. how can they think that they are accomplishing something good by doing so? and this has NOTHING to do with the fact that they are gay or are parading for a gay cause. this is about the dress, the behaviour and the flat-out DISREGARD, DISRESPECT AND SPIT IN THE FACE OF A HOLY PLACE IN GENERAL! I agree with the author of the article. Try conducting your parade on ONE BLOCK of an Arab neighborhood. Maybe then you will appreciate us datiim!

...We are Jews! We have our own Bible, thanks. We actually have a handle on this, without the help of your New Testament, but thanks for proselytzing.

Anything that honors Hasheim, His Righteous Mitzvot, and His treasured City. Why else would they try to pull off an egregious act on the High Holidays? Moscow did the right thing by "removing the paraders" Period.