Pride Parade in Jerusalem Held with Hope for the Release of Hostages

Tens of thousands of residents participated in the annual Pride parade in Jerusalem, a city considered sacred by the three Abrahamic religions. The parade took place on Thursday afternoon, June 1, despite the ongoing Gaza war and the crisis in Israeli society regarding the fate of Israeli hostages held by Palestinian armed groups in Gaza. The event was held with the slogan: "Born to be free," expressing hope for the release of the hostages. Families of the Israeli hostages supported the Pride parade, and several representatives from these families participated to show solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. Participants held images of Lieutenant Colonel Sagi Golan, a soldier killed in the Gaza war, whose partner, Omer Ohana, has been officially recognized by the army as the "husband" of a fallen soldier. Following Golan's death during the Hamas attack on Israel, Ohana sought recognition as the spouse of a deceased military member. His efforts led to Defense Minister Yoav Galant amending army regulations to ensure that LGBTQ+ soldiers whose partners were not legally married would still receive the rights and financial benefits afforded to families of fallen soldiers. According to the Times of Israel, several soldiers from the Golani Brigade's anti-terrorism unit, which Golan commanded, participated in the Jerusalem LGBTQ+ parade to honor their fallen comrade. Opposition leader Yair Lapid and Sheila Weinberg, the first elected transgender member in Israel's history, spoke at the end of the parade. Two thousand police and border forces monitored the event. Concurrently, a group of several dozen members from the far-right organization Lehava received police permission to gather on a street corner to protest against the Pride parade. Lehava, led by Bentzi Gopstein, a political ally of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, has been sanctioned by the U.S. and the EU. In a statement, they declared: "We are all united in war; now is not the time for this hateful parade in Jerusalem." Nine years ago, a religious man killed a teenage girl at a Pride parade in Jerusalem. Despite the annual LGBTQ+ parade being held for 21 years in Jerusalem, the city's religious and conservative authorities, such as the municipality, do not officially participate due to the presence of a conservative Jewish majority and Muslims opposed to such events. The majority of the seats on the Jerusalem City Council are held by Haredim. Nevertheless, legal support for sexual and gender minorities in Israel is a bipartisan issue. The Knesset, Israel's parliament, has passed numerous laws over the past two decades to secure the rights of this community, making Israel a pioneer in ensuring the rights of these citizens. Amir Ohana, the Knesset Speaker and a member of the ruling Likud party, participates in official Israeli ceremonies alongside his "husband," Alon Hadad. The couple has two children, a daughter and a son, conceived from Hadad's sperm and carried by a surrogate. Benjamin Netanyahu emphasizes his support for the LGBTQ+ community by inviting Ohana and his husband to official events. The Pride parades in Tel Aviv and Haifa were canceled this year due to the Gaza war. The annual Tel Aviv parades during "Pride Month" had previously attracted many tourists from around the world. The southern city of Beersheba, very close to Gaza and recently targeted again by Hamas rocket attacks, announced it would hold a "Pride and Hope" gathering in the coming days.