Keep Israel a safe home for us
We are leaders and activists of the Jewish LGBTQ+ communities all over the world. We urgently call to halt the legislation processes that are tearing up Israeli society and support the efforts and protests being held in that vein.
As Jewish people in the diaspora, Israel has always been a second home and a refuge for many. As LGBTQ+ people, Israel’s values as a pluralistic free and open democracy founded on the principles of the Declaration of Independence and Jewish values have made Israel a safe haven — until today.
We are deeply concerned with the current government proposals in Israel. The hasty process, the one-sided nature and the determined opposition from experts against the legislative reform, combined with the demands for further repressive measures reflected in the coalition’s agreements together with the homophobic declarations made by some ministers, and the ignorance towards the tens of thousands of Israelis and many in the diaspora demonstrating in opposition to the current developments, make us fear that Israel will risk no longer being a home for LGBTQ+ people.
The situation must be resolved by peaceful and agreeable means. This is the only Jewish way: “Love peace and hate dissension … A house in which dissension will ultimately be destroyed” (Derech Eretz Zutta tractate, chapter 9.) This dissention is threatening to destroy this house.
