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News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyAugust 9th, 2009
About 25,000 people rally in Tel Aviv's Rabin Square. (Yael Golan/Ynet)
About 25,000 people rallied in Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square Saturday night to remember the victims of last week’s shooting spree at an LGBT youth center that left two people dead and injured about a dozen others. The rally took place despite threats of more violence:
The rally was preceded by a number of threats against the gay community. Earlier Saturday, a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces’ Nahal Haredi unit was arrested on suspicion that he had threatened rally organizers on an online forum.
While in custody, the soldier confessed to making the threats.
Meanwhile, operators of transportation to the Tel Aviv rally received telephone threats from an anonymous caller who warned that grenades will be hurled at attendants of the rally.
Barak Atar, the head of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) chapter in Be’er Sheva, who organized transportation from the southern city to Tel Aviv for the rally, said that “at 2 P.M. we got a call from someone asking where the pickup for the ride to the rally was. We answered him and asked if he was coming, and he said ‘I’ll be there – with grenades.'”
Another bus organizer in Be’er Sheva as well as one in Haifa reported similar threats of grenade attacks. Police are investigating the source of the calls.
Thousands defy threats in Tel Aviv (AFP)
The threats didn’t appear to dampen the rally. Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai opened the rally with a speech that paraphrased Harvey Milk’s famous quote, “If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door.” Mayor Huldai called for a wider impact of those bullets in Tel Aviv, saying, “We must legislate and call out loudly: No more incitement. We would like today for the bullets that pierced Liz and Nir to be the bullets that break through the walls of hatred and ignorance in our society.”
Shimon Peres speaking at the rally. (Ofer Amram/Ynet)
Israel President Shimon Peres also spoke at the rally. He called Israel “the nation of ‘Thou shalt not kill'” and added “Those shots hurt us all, as Jews and as Israelis.” Other speakers included two who were injured during the attack:
Uri Gil, who was injured during the attack on the center, took the stage at the rally together with his friend Chen Langer and said, “That place was a warm and loving home for them and they met wonderful people there.”
“This past week I have been haunted by nightly fear, especially when I think that the murderer is walking around out there,” he added. “No murderer will keep us in the closet.”
Chen Langer, a youth counselor at the center who was also injured in the attack, arrived in a wheelchair and spoke after Gil. “This is the day in which we cease to be silent, to hide, and to alter the appearance of reality.”
Langer tearfully added, “The home that was a place of security for youths became a slaughterhouse of youths.”
Also attending the event were Education Minister Gideon Sa’ar, Culture and Sport Minister Limor Livnat, and openly gay Knesset member Nitzan Horowitz. Several musicians performed at the rally, including Rita, Dana International, Ninet Tayeb, Amir Fay Guttman, Keren Peles, Corinne Alal and Ivri Lider. The rally was organized by Gal Uchovsky, a gay film producer and TV personality.
Prime Minister Netanyahu at the Tel Aviv LGBT Center (Jerusalem Post)
On Thursday, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyaho visited the re-opened LGBT center, where he said the attack “bears the mark of terrorism“:
The idea of someone entering a youth club and beginning to commit serial murder – it bears the markings of a terror attack,” he said.
The premier said he believed stereotyping and denigrating people was wrong and unacceptable.
“We are all created in God’s image. We all have fundamental rights, the first of which is to be treated with respect by others and give [them] the same respect,” he said.
“Anyone who has suffered from baseless hatred, as an individual or in a group, knows how painful and unacceptable it is. This is something we must uproot from society as much as possible,” he added. “I think Israeli society has made progress toward tolerance, and I hope and feel certain that we can make further progress.”
Nir Katz (top) and Liz Trubeshi (bottom)
Two were killed in last weekend’s attack on the Tel Aviv LGBT center, which was conducting a support meeting for gay youth. The dead were identified as 26-year-old Nir Katz from Givatayim, who was a counselor at the center, and 17-year-old Liz Trubeshi from Holom, who was attending the LGBT youth support meeting as a straight ally. They were killed when a lone gunman dressed in black and wearing a black mask entered the center and sprayed the meeting room with bullets from an automatic weapon. The gunman then fled on foot. Despite a city-wide manhunt, he has not been found.
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Burr
August 9th, 2009
So Harvey, now that we have evidence that anti-gays threatened further violence over this event, is it still “deplorable” to call them out for it?
John
August 9th, 2009
I think you mean 26-year-old Nir Katz.
Richard W. Fitch
August 9th, 2009
{**TYPO** identified as 6-year-old Nir Katz }, should be ’26’
EDDIE JR.
August 9th, 2009
It’s an inspiring sight to say the least.
Jim Burroway
August 9th, 2009
Indeed. Dropped the digit in Nir’s age. Sorry about that.
Swampfox
August 9th, 2009
Today, I am an Israeli.
Shalom
Regan DuCasse
August 9th, 2009
Watch and LEARN, Dr. Brown. Nir and Liz, got more than ‘death threats’, they got real death and others would lucky to escape it.
But those who were wounded will carry the scars of their ordeal forever.
And whoever threatened those participating in that rally were found, and are in custody.
See, Michael Brown, one can trace reception of something so serious to the source.
However, since I have as yet to hear of anyone YOU defend actually suffering any real violence or attributing the threat FROM anyone gay or their supporters…
I will take your inflammatory ( and as yet without evidence) statement that friends of yours received death threats as bullsh*t.
Yeah, I said it.
Dan
August 10th, 2009
Tel-Aviv is truly a great city. You see gay people everywhere.
Step outside the city (less than five miles from Rabin Square) and you’re in mortal danger.
Dan
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