Bayit Yehudi's unexpected supporters
For religious, gay Israelis, voting for Bayit Yehudi is not obviously out of the question, despite the party's hard-line stance on gay marriage; 'The good of the people of Israel takes precedence over the good of the individual,' says one gay Bayit Yehudi supporter.
Amit, 35, is an Orthodox Jew and openly gay, and yes - he'll be voting for Naftali Bennett in the upcoming election. And no – he doesn't see any conflict between his lifestyle and his political leanings. "The good of the people of Israel takes precedence over the good of the individual, and that's exactly why I'm voting for Bayit Yehudi," he says.
"I see them as a party that will defend the Torah of Israel, the people of Israel and the Land of Israel, and even if there is one issue with which I have a problem, I will still vote for them. Bayit Yehudi thinks in keeping with what the Holy One, blessed be He, says, and I act in accordance with the will of the Creator. You can't look at it from a secular perspective."
It still seems strange that you are voting for Bennett.
"Bayit Yehudi was asked in the video clip to comment specifically on same-sex marriages, and that's exactly how they responded – rights for individuals, yes, but without institutional recognition. Besides, I'm not only a homosexual. I'm many things. My sexual preferences are really not the most important thing."
Security comes first
Amit's choice to vote for a party that doesn't support state recognition for same-sex couples does not pose a problem for him. And not just him. Many religious gays, who identify with the principles and values of Bayit Yehudi, are not even scared off by the dark and disparaging statements voiced against gays by some party officials. And don't forget - for a significant number of religious gays, the coming out process is far more difficult and painful than it is for their secular friends, and is usually accompanied by alienation from their families and society.
In a video released in January, Bayit Yehudi officials were asked to respond to questions on same-sex marriages, and most expressed adamant opposition. "There is no such thing," they said. As a result, party members were marked as enemies of the gay community, party leaders were branded as homophobic, and many gay activists have crashed Bayit Yehudi conventions.
Y., from the Jerusalem area, is also going to cast a vote for Bennett next week. And he makes no apologies at all. "Bennett's not perfect, and I'm voting for him despite that and not because of that," he says. "All politicians have their faults, and I would rather my political beliefs be promoted. I would rather have someone who will take care of my personal security."
Y. isn't personally offended by statements made by Bayit Yehudi officials. "It's not like Bennett is actively opposed to the community like Shas is for example," he says. "I think his statements stemmed mainly from ignorance and not homophobia. If I were to speak to Uri Ariel about quantum theory, he wouldn't understand what I was talking about too. I don't see hatred; I see ignorance, which makes sense because they don't come from the same society as Zahava Gal-On for example.
"I understand where their statements came from. It's like giving a kosher certificate to a restaurant that serves non-kosher items. Bennett and Bayit Yehudi act in keeping with Jewish religious law, and to say he hates homosexuals would be like saying he hates Gentiles because he isn't working to permit marriages between a Gentile and a Jew."
As far as Y. is concerned, the rights of the LGBT community are dwarfed by other more important issues on the agenda in Israel. "It's a marginal issue in relation to the other things that are happening in the country," he says. "This isn't Switzerland just yet. Worldwide, there are about 15 countries that permit gay marriages, and it's somewhat hypocritical to expect a religious party to fly the banner for the cause."
"I'm not simply a homosexual"
A., from the south, doesn't understand what all the fuss is about. "Not voting for Bennett won’t make things easier for gays among the religious community," he says. "Religious gays like to be religious, and want to live with their religion and sexual orientation side by side. It's the secular LGBT community in fact that's trying to force us into something that goes against who were essentially are. I define myself as a person and not as a homosexual. That's just another small part of who I am. And besides, people forget that Bennett voted in favor of granting tax breaks to gay couples."
A. believes it will still take a long time before homosexuality is accepted among the religious community. "It took me 18 years to grasp the complexity of what it means to be a religious homosexual and to accept myself in a healthy manner. I'm giving the members of Bayit Yehudi time to grasp it too. The bottom line is that there isn't one single party that would cater completely to all my desires, or anyone's at all for that matter. In Israeli politics, we all make compromises in one way or another."
Omer, who is openly gay, says he's often surprised by the reactions he gets when he tells friends in the gay community that he's voting for Bayit Yehudi. "My Facebook page is full of shocking posts from friends about the fact that I'm voting for Bayit Yehudi," he says. "They don't understand that apart from the fact that I'm gay, I'm many other things too. At every Gay Pride parade, Meretz, Labor and Yesh Atid shout that they're with us; but if they really wanted to pass the law to permit same-sex marriages, they would have all turned up to the Knesset to vote for it.
"But that didn't happen, because that's politics and politics is a dirty thing. Don't forget, Bayit Yehudi is a relatively new party. They will gradually become more open and understand a thing or two about same-sex couples. I'd like to believe that when the elections come around again, there will be a gay faction in Bayit Yehudi that is based on Jewish values – because, honestly, there's no reason why a religious homosexual shouldn’t vote for Bennett."
Shlomi grew up in an ultra-Orthodox family. "In the previous elections, I followed in the footsteps of my family and I voted for Shas," he says. "But after exploring things more, I realized that Bennett best suits my worldview. Yes, there is a conflict. There are members of his party who speak out openly against the community, but no one else – aside perhaps from Meretz, which is light years away from me – has really promised us anything at all. None of the political parties really do work for the sake of the community. Just like in my world in which faith and sexual orientation don't collide, so it should be when it comes to politics and sexual orientation."
And then there are those who are still on the fence, who up until a short while ago were sure they'd be voting for Bayit Yehudi but are now undecided due to the party's positions with respect to the gay community. One of them is Haim, 24, from Tel Aviv, who belongs to the religious Zionist camp. "I was very disappointed when Bennett opposed the same-sex marriage bill," he says. "And I even wrote to him on Facebook: How can it be that I – a religious man, someone who served in the army, a former Bnei Akiva youth leader, someone who is observant and keeps the Sabbath – don't get such basic rights. Have I done something wrong?"
And who are you going to vote for?
"I don't know who to vote for. I voted for Bayit Yehudi in the past and I was sure I'd vote for them again. I believe in and agree with their principles, and I regret the party's statements because we're not dealing here with a problem related to religious law, we're dealing with homophobia that stems from social pressure and prejudice. I suggest he sets up a gay faction within Bayit Yehudi. Behind me there's an entire community that wants to say: 'Hey, we're of the same mind, and we believe in the same things, just respect our rights.'"
