have a right to them. Personally, I can't walk in heels and I would look terrible in a dress, so I have to parade in normal clothing.

The left love the gays and loves the muslims. They should put the two together. Lets have the parade in Mecca and see how the wonderful muslim world the left loves reacts.

When I first read this story it said 3,000. Now it has been inflated to 15,000!! Hey what gives with the FIVE FOLD INFLATION OF NUMBERS!!??

Forget about tempting Jews to flip a switch on the Sabbath or nibble on shrimps. GO STRAIGHT TO THE BIG SINS.

Don't you think gay pride parades are interesting? I think they are a blast. If you do not like them, the answer is simple. Don't watch. Tel Aviv is a city with a wide variety of people. Stan

When I read the article, I hadn’t found my glasses, so I wasn’t sure whether that # was one of my early morning, optical illusions or just a ynet typo. What you perceive to be "funny" is strictly a survival tactic. Some people are born gay, some straight and some are dragged from the gene pool of “your guess is as good as mine, do the best you can, and good luck to you.” Half of me was Jewish, the other half German and a third half Christian. I know, I know, there are supposed to be only two halves, and so, right off the bat, we have this problem with too many halves and an uneven number of those, at that, never allowing for balanced alliances. Needless to say, the J. half always had a big problem with the G. half. That conflict was somewhat held in check by the C. half out of love and respect for my Catholic mother. After she died, when I was 16, the gloves came off. Now the J. half went into full battle mode and had neither rest nor peace until the G. half was, for all intents and purposes, demolished. Ok, that’s easy to fix: You marry an American belonging to a religion you’ve never heard of and get out of the country. That went well for a few years. But the little Jew would not be pacified and started trouble again. The good Christians, so near and dear to my heart and by whom I am surrounded on all sides, instead of offering support, just get tired of my convoluted ramblings, throw up their hands and me out and tell me to get on with it, do what I should have done years before and talk to a Rabbi. Now, if there is one living soul, who can pull the rug out from under or put the lid on a Jew, it’s a Rabbi. When it turned out that this J. half, who’s been stirring up trouble all these years, was, is and always will be the wrong half, I could have sworn that I heard giggles of Schadenfreude in some corner of my head with definite, Latin and German overtones. So, when I found myself sitting here, the German gone, hung out to dry by the Christians and the Jews not wanting any part of me, I had to do serious digging for some sort of substance. What I found was humor and the hope that god, if nobody else, can make sense of this creature of his. Being schizoid does, however, have its advantages. You could, if you wanted to, laugh at everything and everybody, while making sure that the paranoids, who are always after you, only get to laugh at the you that's out to lunch and not on call :-)

For the life of me I cannot understand what are these deviant creatures proud of. How about showing off some true accomplishments and merits?

The mouth of the lord has spoken , so WHAT ? What did the "lord" say during the Shoa ? nothing , inexisting . So do'nt bring "his" sayings today to serious people , or hold them for you and your friends , ressembling more and more to iranian Ayathollas .

Where did you take the 3000 # ? In an error by a tb'er ? she rectified it . Those who are against this parade have to SHAME , they do'nt know the word tolerance . they are the only ,they think it , who are right . No they are those who are wrong , and hatefull . Do you remember those hatefull faces last year ? those "religious" bipedes who were throwing stones and garbage to those brave police officers , wounding some . They need to have shame , not Tel aviv . And to others , you have gays in the whole spectrum of Israeli society , religious , seculars , right and left wing . To be gay has nothing to do with someone's political or religious affiliation . One thing is possible , religious will not appear publicly , they would be rejected by their [ tolerant ? ] community and family . but there are , as many as in other kind of people .

Is to walk around wearing a talit normal ? is walking around dressed as 17 th century East Europeans normal ? Or walking around with those black suits , by more than 30 Celcius normal ? There are many things you do'nt do in a restaurant , or in any other place . Will you spitt in someones face ? or throw stones at him [ or her ] ? Well for some people this is normal behaviour . Look at those spitting and throwing stones last year in Jerusalem . If people want to show some extravagant behaviour , take it so , the more you will oppose this , the more NORMAL people will support them , in name of their freedom . Freedom for those parading , and freedom for those supporting them .

This is a tragedy in Eretz Yisrael. Sensless anti-religious provocation in our G-d given Holy Land. It is not enough for them to sin in private, sure they need to bring their abomination out there in public to optimise their evil plan to destroy the Jews. And government supports this. I'm so very sad.

It seems turn-out was 15,000 or so says updated headline. Nonetheless, you are absolutely on the mark when you mention the Golan. The gay parade is a non-issue, has no consequences. It's just pandering to people's prejudice as a distraction from real issues. Our crap MK's (Shas & other rightests) do nothing about real issues but throw a bone to social conservatives so no one notices that they basically do nothing. Like Shas supporting Peres for president. Or Olmert planning to give away the Golan. Notice that no one is withdrawing from the coalition that keeps Olmert as PM. It's easier to exploit blind irrational prejudice ......and you get to keep your job. People are such suckers.

Tel Aviv has "everything under the Sun" so it experiment with EVERYTHING how far they can challange reality with the wishfull thinking. Dreaming while driwing has its consequences, reality does have means to get evin with the "dreamers".... it does it with the CONSEQENCES. TelAviv is just "right" place from where the very core of the Jewish values are challanged since inception of the state of Israel. Arrogant and restless are idiots with their experiments with the reality ... "Peace" now, gay abominations, communists, space-cadets, are true indication of decay of the moral integrity-direction of that segment of Israeli society, thank G-d that he put them in one location, so rest of Israel could observe that self-made MORAL-FRANKENSTEIN and to be able to draw proper DEDUCTION where our values are and where stand? For the past 2,000 years we were in golus, there was never a iota of doubt of EVERY Jew what the Jewish values ARE, first time when we got a state of Israel, sodomists showed up to challange the very core of Jewish values. Is that the only thing that could get us back into golus? Or we have to wait perhaps for a live sacrifices ... just to kind of spice a thing a bit ... just to see how far we can get, before Hashem gets tired of this nonsense,? There is at least one good thing about this abomination is that it hapened in TelAviv not in Jerusalem, Hebron, Tzvat ... perhaps next year in Jedah?

I oppose spitting, I oppose stone throwing, I oppose people strolling through shopping malls in bikinis, I oppose weird displays of underwear and kinky clothes in "pride parades," and I can think of many other things. But the behavior in the "pride parades"--this is something you feel you have to approve of. Why? Maybe a little overeager to show how open-minded and tolerant you are? Maybe because the debate is too polarized? That picture at the top of this article--does this strike you as human progress? I'm sure you'll say yes--it's wonderful how those women are dressed, they look mature and dignified. By the way, what's the connection between "gay pride" and going around in half-nude, weird, kinky night-club clothes in the streets? Why is this something to be proud of?

I don’t hate anyone. I may not like what they’re trying to peddle, but hate? Nawwwwwwwww. How could I hate Arabs, when I, years ago and like some whacked-out Fatima in love with King Farouk, tried to learn bellydancing? I had zills and veils, and I went at it with a passion. Unfortunately, after the second week, my body parts refused to go back to their original positions, my bellybutton shifted to a place where nobody should have a bellybutton, and a set of steps would freeze every muscle from sheer horror. Add to that my inability to rotate my boobs in the opposite direction of my skinny rear end and that due to the latter, my beautiful hip belt with the metal discs would end up around my ankles, and I had to capitulate. The teacher offered to refund my fee, but I figured that, after the agonies of watching me slowly obliterate this part of her culture, she had earned every dime.

this may be the thing that gets Hashem mad enough to act for the rest of us waiting.

yes i agree the torah does not promote gays but people are individual in their preferences and surely i would rather 15000 gays partying in tel aviv than 15000 arabs taking over tel aviv....

why does everyone keep mentioning when will there be a straight parade? as long as straight people are the majority of people there won't be a straight parades. Parades like this gay parade are designed for MINORITY groups. Hasn't anyone ever been to NY and see all the parades they have there for each and every minority group? maybe you guys should get out of israel for a week or two and see some other countries. if you want a straight parade then organize one but it won't work because you're the MAJORITY of people. so simple.

A sign of the times. Gross deterioration of humaity! Little do they know the damage they do to the inner world of onlookers. Keep your brains pure.

the comments on this site make me disgusted and ashamed. how hateful you are. go with your christianist friends and create your little theocracy somewhere else.

We are proud as gay people because we have overcome obstacles and succeeded in the world in-spite of the bigotry and hatred evidenced by small-minded fools on this board. I've always been a proud Jew and super-pro-Israel. But, if these anti-gay bills become law, I will be the first to call for a boycott. Most American Jews support Israel because it is a free country. Once it becomes a playground for totalitarian religious fanatics, most American Jews are going to abandon you. Please understand that we have no more use for Jewish fanatics than we do for Muslim fanatics. I nut is a nut is a nut. To the people of Israel: If you ban Pride, be prepared to lose the support of many American Jews. We don't support right wingers at home, nor will we abroad. If you haven't learned from the past that persecution is wrong - you are on your own for now on. We have nothing in common with you. Consider this a warning from a proud American Jew who loves Israel - as long as it is a free country. The fact that I am even writing this is painful and was unthinkable days ago. But, an Israel that does not beleive in freedom of speech and assembly --- is one that I can't have anything to do with.

If someone wants to walk around in a funny or extravagant way , dressed in bikinis or half nude , if he or she thinks ik fine for him or her , let them do . You think that there is nothing to be proud of , free to you , but let them do . You have'nt to applaud them , you have'nt to look at them . What they are wearing is not important , you can be wearing strict othodox clothes , and be a very ugly person . "L'habit ne fait pas le moine" is a French saying , the robe do'nt makes the monk . Years ago , how was beachwear ? even men did'nt show much of their skin . There is an evolution . I did'nt see many bikinis in shopping mall's . In the Opera mall in Tel Aviv , i've seen the security ask people to dress . A young man had to wear his T shirt . In Tel Aviv !

In the various ethnic pride parades in NYC, the people don't wear half-nude, weird, kinky nightclub clothes or underwear or engage in semi-sexual behavior in public. It may be a point too subtle for a highly emotionalized, polarized debate, but I would also object if there was a heterosexual parade and people dressed and acted in this way. Why, in a gay pride parade, do people act and dress this way, and what's the connection to pride? It seems to me that a mature human being, gay, hetero, Jewish, non-Jewish, religious, secular, right-wing, left-wing, whatever, understands that it's not mature or dignified, it doesn't express any kind of pride or personal development, to go around in the street in a stripper's costume or in panties. Gays want to have a normal demonstration or rally for causes they believe in? Be my guest. Why do you insist on turning the streets of a city, in the middle of the day, into a nightclub?

can anyone expalain to me pls, how judaism view homosexuality?

The gay parade was a nice change from Qassams Miss; Qassams on Targe; Terrorism; Dead People On All Sides; More BS Bon Mots From Mahmoud/Nasrallah/Hanieh/Abbas/Assad; Condi Butt Out; Bush, It's All Your Fault; Somebody Do Something About Olmert; Everyone Except MY Side Is Wrong; Israel Forever; Death To Jews, Christians, Muslims, Arabs,etc. Let's just have parades du jour. Going berserk over somebody's Fruit of the Looms and fanny patting, at least, doesn't kill anybody.

You know, I did not mean to offend you so much the last time we exchanged TBs. I said to myself: "try harder next time". All my life, I have been told the Hebrew race was a speical group due to it's special relationship with G-d. As such, I was raised to respect the Jewish people. The only reason you are considered a "race" at all is because your founding father, Abraham, was called to seperate himself from the rest of the world. Charles, if you throw away the calling given to Abraham, you also throw away the reason for the world to consider you a unique race. Genetically speaking, you are hardly any different from anyone else. That is why I made the statement that an anti-religious Jew is an oxymoron. I am not saying YOU are a moron. The word oxymoron describes a statement that is self defeating. The Titanic was once hailed as an "unsinkable ship!". What an oxymoron that proved to be! You make a really big deal out of Hitler killing six million Jews. That was a big deal, no doubt. But Stalin killed far more of his countrymen. If I remember right, it is somewhere around 23 million. Pol Pot killed 11 million of his own countrymen in Cambodia. How many million Rowandans were killed less than 15 years ago at the hands of their own countrymen? Right now, the "president" of Sudan just can't seem to kill enough of his own people to satisfy his bloodlust. So in the big picture of historical world events, the Shoa was just another mass murder done by madmen to stay in power. Without the G-d of Abraham, Jews are not a unique race at all. You are just another bunch of people fighting over a peice of dirt that used to belong to someone else.

The country is "fubar" - F'd up beyond all recognition - not because of Gays but because of corruption, deceit, failure to enforce laws and many other "sins" not requiring death but a general clean up starting with the politicians!

It is summer. We here in Israel are inclined to wear "skimpy" cloths in the summer. Do you think that the Nazis, who persecuted both Jews and Homosexuals, would have been happy if the Jews did not wear traditional "Jewish" dress? Jerusalem, once the City of Gold, has become the City of Hate. Is this what we fought the Six Day War for? Is this what we our soldiers, Straight, Gay or otherwise died for then and are still dying in defense of our land? Could one of you please explain to us mere mortals how Jews, the most persecuted people in the history of this planet, can persecute others who have elected to follow another lifestyle? If your answer is the that Most Holy, Blessed Be His Name, said that mankind who lies with mankind must be put to death, then why does this not hold true for adulterers, those who lie with their neighbors wife and all those bad people mentioned in Leviticus 20? Gay Pride is a statement and the Gay Pride Parade, which, I agree can be a bit like the raucous the Rio Carnival, would not be necessary if religious bigots would just get on with their own lives and stop telling others how to live theirs. Live and let live. So you don’t like their way of life? Many in this world don’t like yours. It is called anti-Semitism! Finally, who are you to judge? That is Lord’s work!