Israel remains the most advanced and tolerant in the Middle East in terms of gay rights, and indeed one of the most tolerant in the whole world. In November 2005, a groundbreaking court decision in Israel ruled that a lesbian spouse could officially adopt a child born to her current partner, by artificial insemination from an anonymous sperm donor; this ruling was despite protests by the Orthodox Jewish parliamentary parties (which are a minority). Common law marriage has already been similarly achieved (which grants most of the official marriage rights to the spouse), but full official gay marriage has not been sanctioned. However, same-sex marriages performed elsewhere are recognized. A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... The gay rights movement is a collection of loosely aligned civil rights groups, human rights groups, support groups and political activists seeking acceptance, tolerance and equality for non-heterosexual, (homosexual, bisexual), and transgender people - despite the fact that it is typically referred to as the gay rights movement, members also... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A lesbian is a woman who is romantically and sexually attracted only to other women. ... Artificial insemination (AI) is when sperm is placed into a females uterus (intrauterine), or cervix (intracervical) using artificial means rather than by natural copulation. ... A spermatozoon or spermatozoan ( spermatozoa), from the ancient Greek σπέρμα (seed) and (living being) and more commonly known as a sperm cell, is the haploid cell that is the male gamete. ... Orthodox Judaism is the formulation of Judaism that adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonized in the Talmudic texts (The Oral Law) and as subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and Acharonim. ... In many jurisdictions, common-law marriage is a legal provision whereby two people who are eligible to marry, but who do not obtain a legal marriage, are nevertheless considered married under certain conditions. ... Same-sex marriage is marriage between individuals who are of the same legal or biological sex. ...

Israel, Turkey, and (most recently) Cyprus are the only countries in the Middle East where homosexuality between consenting adults in private is neither illegal nor persecuted by the authorities. Cyprus had been forced to follow suit as a condition of joining the European Union. While homosexual conduct is legal in Jordan, the law does not require punishment for honor killings of homosexuals. In most other Middle Eastern countries homosexuality is illegal, often punishable by flogging and even hanging. Homosexuality refers to sexual interaction and / or romantic attraction between individuals of the same sex. ... Persecution is persistent mistreatment of an individual or group by another group. ... Jordan is generally seen as a moderate nation in the Muslim Southeast Asia. ... Ibtihaz Hasoun after being killed in an honor killing Honor killing is most often the killing of a female, but in some cases also a male, and sometimes his/her family members, love-interests or other associates,[1][2] for supposed sexual or marital offences, typically by his/her own...

Until 2001, Israel had been the only country in Asia where homosexuals are protected with anti-discrimination laws, which they now share with Japan. Israel remains the only one in the Middle East with such laws.

Military service

Unlike many other democratic nations, the armed forces of Israel allow service without any distinction based on sexual orientation. Since 1993, homosexuals have been allowed to openly serve in the military, including special units. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) (Hebrew: ‎  , [Army] Force for the Defense of Israel), often abbreviated with the Hebrew acronym צהל Tsahal, alternative English spelling Tzahal, is the name of Israels military forces, comprising the Israeli Army, the Israeli Air Force and the Israeli Sea Corps. ...

In 1956, two soldiers were put to military trial on the charges of sexual intercourse 'that are not as the way of the Nature' and were supposed to be put in military prison for one year, but the punishment has been reduced on the explanation that 'homosexuality is a disease, not a crime' and until the late 80's, the commanders had to report to the military psychiatric department about homosexual soldiers. The vast majority of psychological and psychiatric organizations in Israel and worldwide no longer consider homosexuality to be a disease or defect. Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Israeli youth can seek exemption from military service by volunteering for a national service, among other ways. Since June 2006, The Association of Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals, and Transgenders in Israel (Agudah) qualifies as such a service. [1]

In a poll conducted in 2006, half of the gay soldiers were found to be harassed during their army duty. Most cases involved verbal harassment.^[1]

Sodomy

The State of Israel inherited its sodomy or "buggery" law from the British influence, but there is no record that it was ever enforced against homosexual acts that took place between consenting adults in private. In 1963 the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that this law could not be enforced and it was formally repealed by the national legislative assembly Knesset in 1988.[2] The age of consent for both heterosexuals and homosexuals is sixteen years of age as defined by the Kale Smith vs. Houghtaling case. François Elluin, Sodomites provoking the wrath of God, from Le pot pourri de Loth (1781). ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... The Supreme Court is at the head of the court system in the State of Israel. ... The modern Knesset building, Israels parliament, in Jerusalem Though similar-sounding, Beit Knesset (בית כנסת) literally means House of Assembly, and refers to a synagogue. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Employment discrimination

In 1992 legislation was introduced to prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, with some exemptions for religious organizations. 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... Employment discrimination refers to employment practices that are prohibited by law such as bias in hiring, promotion, job assignment, termination, compensation, and various types of harassment. ... Sexual orientation describes the direction of an individuals sexuality, often in relation to their own sex or gender. ...

Marriage

Main article: Civil unions in Israel

Israeli law recognizes same-sex marriages performed elsewhere. It is the only country in the Middle East to do so. It does not, however, allow same-sex couples to marry. Israel has granted unregistered cohabitation for same-sex couples since 1994, in the form of common law marriage, a status that until then was only extended to heterosexual couples. ...

The State of Israel allows foreign partners of its homosexual citizenry to receive residency permits. The Civil Service Commission extends spousal benefits and pensions to the partners of homosexual employees. The Israeli State Attorney's Office has extended the spousal exemption from property-transfer taxes to same-sex couples. Israel's attorney general has granted legal recognition to same-sex couples in financial and other business matters. Attorney General Meni Mazuz said the couples will be treated the same as common-law spouses, recognizing them as legal units for tax, real estate, and financial purposes. Mazuz made his decision by refusing to appeal a district court ruling in an inheritance case that recognized the legality of a same-sex union, his office said in a statement. Mazuz did differentiate, however, between recognizing same-sex unions for financial and practical purposes, as he did, and changing the law to officially sanction the unions, which would be a matter for parliament, according to the statement. Citizenship is membership in a political community (originally a city but now a state), and carries with it rights to political participation; a person having such membership is a citizen. ... In most common law jurisdictions, the Attorney General is the main legal adviser to the government, and in some jurisdictions may in addition have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions. ... Menachem Mazuz (Hebrew: מנחם מזוז) (born 1955) is an Israeli jurist serving as Israels Attorney General. ...

The city of Tel Aviv recognizes unmarried couples, including gays and lesbians, as family units and grants them discounts for municipal services. Under the bylaw, unmarried couples qualify for the same discounts on day care and the use of swimming pools, sports facilities, and other city-sponsored activities that married couples enjoy. Tel-Aviv was founded on empty dunes north of the existing city of Jaffa. ... This article needs to be wikified. ...

On January 29, 2007, following a High Court ruling ordering them to do so, Jerusalem registered its first gay couple, Avi and Binyamin Rose. [3]

Children

On January 10, 2005, the Supreme Court ruled that a lesbian couple is able to legally adopt each other's children. During the past 15 years that Tal and Avital Yaros-Hakak have lived together, they have had a total of three children. The couple petitioned the Tel Aviv Family Court for the right to formally adopt each other's children in 1997, but the request was rejected because Israel's adoption law had no provisions for same-sex couples. The couple appealed. While they failed to get a favorable ruling in the Tel Aviv District Court, the Supreme Court accepted the case. Citing Article 25 of the Adoption Law, the Yaros-Hakaks argued that the law allows for "special circumstances" for adoption when it is for the good of the child, even if the child's parents are still alive. The only condition is that the person seeking to adopt be single. The couple argued that since the state does not recognize same-sex marriage, they are single by law. The Yaros-Hakaks added that adoption was in the best interest of the children if one of their natural mothers should die. The Supreme Court of Israel agreed, ruling 7-2 in favor of the couple. The Supreme Court (Hebrew: בית המשפט העליון, Beit Hamishpat Haelyon ) is at the head of the court system in the State of Israel. ... Adoption is the legal act of permanently placing a child with a parent (or parents) other than the birth parents. ...

Following the supreme court ruling, a lesbian couple was allowed to adopt each other's biological children on February 12, 2006. Before that, gay partners of parents were granted guardianship over their partner's children. February 12 is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

Politics

Since the 1970s there has been an active gay rights movement that has often affiliated itself with the Israeli feminist movement and various liberal and social democratic political parties. The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ... The gay rights movement is a collection of loosely aligned civil rights groups, human rights groups, support groups and political activists seeking acceptance, tolerance and equality for non-heterosexual, (homosexual, bisexual), and transgender people - despite the fact that it is typically referred to as the gay rights movement, members also... Feminism is a collection of social theories, political movements, and moral philosophies largely motivated by or concerned with the liberation of women. ... Liberalism is an ideology, philosophical view, and political tradition which holds that liberty is the primary political value. ... Social democracy is a political ideology emerging in the late 19th and early 20th centuries from supporters of Marxism who believed that the transition to a socialist society could be achieved through democratic evolutionary rather than revolutionary means. ...

Today, Israel's Labor Party, Meretz-Yachad, and Shinui all support gay rights. Other minor liberal or progressive political parties support a similar platform as well. The Israel Labor Party (Hebrew: העבודה, Ha‘Avoda (Labor), officially מפלגת העבודה הישראלית, Mifleget Ha‘Avoda HaIsra’elit) is a center-left political party in Israel. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Meretz. ... Shinui (שינוי) (original full name: Tenua le-Shinui ve Yozma and then to Shinui-Mifleget ha-Merkaz) is a Zionist, secular and anti-clerical, free market liberal party in Israel. ... The gay rights movement is a collection of loosely aligned civil rights groups, human rights groups, support groups and political activists seeking acceptance, tolerance and equality for non-heterosexual, (homosexual, bisexual), and transgender people - despite the fact that it is typically referred to as the gay rights movement, members also...

Nevertheless, there still have been many anti-gay politicians. In 1997, President Ezer Weizman compared homosexuality to alcoholism in front of high school students. This provoked major controversy and the President received numerous calls from civil rights activists and liberal Knesset members. Shortly following, 300 people demonstrated outside of Weizman's residence, demanding his resignation. [4] President of the State of Israel (Hebrew: ‎, Nesí Hamdiná, literally: The President of the State) is the Head of State of Israel, but has a largely ceremonial, figurehead role with real power lying in the hands of the Prime Minister of Israel. ... Ezer Weizman (עזר ויצמן) (Tel Aviv, June 15, 1924 – Caesarea Maritima, April 24, 2005) was the seventh President of the State of Israel (1993-2000). ... Civil rights or positive rights are those legal rights retained by citizens and protected by the government. ... The modern Knesset building, Israels parliament, in Jerusalem Though similar-sounding, Beit Knesset (בית כנסת) literally means House of Assembly, and refers to a synagogue. ...

Community visibility

Israel has an active gay community, with well attended annual gay pride festivals [5] held in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem since 1998. The Jerusalem parade gained international coverage when a Jewish extremist stabbed three marchers in 2005. He was subsequently sentenced to twelve years in prison. [6] An attempt by Jerusalem's mayor to thwart Jerusalem pride in June 2005 had been challenged in the courts. The mayor lost and was ordered to contribute funds to the event. [7] Baton twirlers perform in the 2002 Divers/Cité pride parade in downtown Montreal A pride parade is part of a festival or ceremony held by the LGBT community of a city to commemorate the struggle for gay liberation, gay rights, and gay pride. ... Tel-Aviv was founded on empty dunes north of the existing city of Jaffa. ... Hebrew יְרוּשָׁלַיִם (Yerushalayim) (Standard) Yerushalayim or Yerushalaim Arabic commonly القـُدْس (Al-Quds); officially in Israel أورشليم القدس (Urshalim-Al-Quds) Name Meaning Hebrew: (see below), Arabic: The Holiness Government City District Jerusalem Population 724,000 (2006) Jurisdiction 123,000 dunams (123 km²) Mayor Uri Lupolianski Web Address www. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ...

The LGBT community in Israel was also brought to the media's attention following the winning of the Eurovision Song Contest in 1998 by Dana International, an Israeli transsexual. The modern logo was introduced for the 2004 Contest to create a consistent visual identity. ... Dana International performs at the 1998 Eurovision Song Contest Dana International (Hebrew: דנה אינטרנשיונל; stage name of Sharon Cohen, born Yaron Cohen in Tel Aviv, Israel on February 2, 1972) is an Israeli transsexual pop singer of Yemenite origin, who won the 1998 Eurovision Song Contest for her song Diva. She was...

The World Pride Festival [8] was planned for Jerusalem in August 2005, despite protests from religious groups of the three major religions in Jerusalem. However, it was postponed due to the Israel's pull out from Gaza Strip, which required the presence of most Israeli police forces and thus leave the parade with little to no security. It, however, had been plagued with threats of violence, as well as consistent grandstanding against it by some Jewish, Muslim, and Christian leaders and members of the Knesset. [9] Hebrew יְרוּשָׁלַיִם (Yerushalayim) (Standard) Yerushalayim or Yerushalaim Arabic commonly القـُدْس (Al-Quds); officially in Israel أورشليم القدس (Urshalim-Al-Quds) Name Meaning Hebrew: (see below), Arabic: The Holiness Government City District Jerusalem Population 724,000 (2006) Jurisdiction 123,000 dunams (123 km²) Mayor Uri Lupolianski Web Address www. ... Israels unilateral disengagement plan (termed in Hebrew: תוכנית ההתנתקות Tokhnit HaHitnatkut or תכנית ההינתקות Tokhnit HaHinatkut in the Disengagement Plan Implementation Law), also known as the disengagement plan, Gaza Pull-Out plan, and Hitnatkut) was a proposal by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, adopted by the government and enacted in August 2005, to...

In November 2006, more than two thousand members of the Haredi Judaism sect jammed into streets in an Orthodox neighbourhood in a show of force aimed at pressuring authorities into cancelling the gay pride parade to be held in Jerusalem. About a dozen people have been reported injured [10]. Haredi or Charedi Judaism (alternatively Hareidi or Chareidi - this spelling being usually preferred by Haredim themselves) is the most theologically conservative form of Orthodox Judaism. ... Image:.jpg Six color rainbow gay pride flag flying over Castro Street, San Francisco, June 2005 The gay pride or simply pride campaign has three main premises: that people should be proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity, that sexual diversity is a gift, and that sexual orientation and... Hebrew יְרוּשָׁלַיִם (Yerushalayim) (Standard) Yerushalayim or Yerushalaim Arabic commonly القـُدْس (Al-Quds); officially in Israel أورشليم القدس (Urshalim-Al-Quds) Name Meaning Hebrew: (see below), Arabic: The Holiness Government City District Jerusalem Population 724,000 (2006) Jurisdiction 123,000 dunams (123 km²) Mayor Uri Lupolianski Web Address www. ...

Palestinian issues

Some Palestinian gays and lesbians are reported to be hiding illegally in Israel in order to escape extreme intolerance, physical abuse, death, or disowning by their families that they face in their communities. Significant expatriate groups exist in Tel Aviv and Netanya, where many live with their Israeli partners who help keep their presence in Israel hidden from the police (who will pursue them not for their sexual orientation, but for illegal stay in the state).[11],[12],[13] Tel-Aviv was founded on empty dunes north of the existing city of Jaffa. ... Early morning in Netanya, Israel Netanya (Hebrew: נְתַנְיָה, Standard Hebrew Nətanya) is a city in the Center District of Israel and is the capital of the Sharon plain. ...

It has also been reported that many in the Palestinian community equate homosexuality with collaboration with Israel. After Palestinian gay men run away, some of them are recruited by the Israeli Security Forces in exchange for financial or administrative favors such as the right of residence. If and when they return to their hometowns, they are often accused of being collaborators and are greatly discriminated against, sometimes arrested and tortured. Even suspicion of collaboration can mean death from fellow Palestinians [14]. One man who returned to Nablus was thrown in a pit and starved to death.^{[citation needed]} A 19-year-old runaway stated in an interview with Israeli television that he had been pressured by the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades to become a suicide bomber in order to ‘purge his moral guilt’, although he had refused.^{[citation needed]} Because of such instances, some Palestinians who are illegally residing Israel are considered security threats and live under virtual house arrest. Some others who do not hold legal residency in Israel hustle as prostitutes. In order to remain out of prison, gay men who remain in Palestinian areas often work as Palestinian police agents to "ferret out" other homosexuals in the region. There are an estimated 300-600 Palestinian homosexuals who have (legally and illegally) found refuge in Israel. [15][16][17] The Israeli Security Forces are several organizations collectively responsible for Israels security. ... A residence may be a house, a place to live, like a nursing home. ... The al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades (كتائب شهداء الأقصى) are a Palestinian armed terrorist group closely linked to the Fatah party. ... A suicide bombing is a bomb attack on people or property, committed by a person who knows the explosion will cause his or her own death in addition to the attacks primary purpose (see suicide, suicide weapons). ... In justice and law, house arrest is the situation where a person is confined (by the authorities) to his or her residence. ... Prostitution is the sale of sexual services (typically manual stimulation, oral sex, sexual intercourse, or anal sex) for cash or other kind of return, generally indiscriminately with many persons. ...

Trivia

• Etai Pinkas (Meretz Party), member of the Tel Aviv City Council is openly gay.
• Yigal Bibi, Rabbi Haim Meir Druckman, Rabbi Avraham Ravitz, Michael Eitan, and Zevulun Orlev are anti-gay members of Knesset (Parliament).
• Uzi Even (Meretz Party), is an openly gay former member of Knesset.
• Saar-Ran Netanel (Meretz Party), member of the Jerusalem City Council is openly gay.
• Carsten Damsgaard, Danish ambassador to Israel, is openly gay.
• Yossi Avni-Levy is one of several senior Israeli diplomats who are openly gay. Aside from serving as consul in several European countries, he published three successful books (short stories, novellas and a novel) about gay themes under a pseudonym, before finally coming out.
• On Holocaust Memorial Day 2006, gays and lesbians in Israel were invited to participate in Holocaust memorial services in Europe, acknowledging the tragic persecution of homosexuals by the Nazis. [18]
• Israel was one of six members of a United Nations committee that supported the Coalition Gaie et Lesbienne du Quebec (Coalition of Gays and Lesbians of Quebec) having consultative status with the United Nations. The other five in favor were Colombia, Peru, Romania, Britain and the United States; and against were Burundi, China, Egypt, Guinea, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia and Sudan. With the majority against, the group's credentials were rejected.[19]

A city council is the most common style of legislative government in a city or town. ... Zevulun Orlev זבולון אורלב is an Israeli politician. ... Uzi Even (born October 18, 1940) is an Israeli professor of chemistry and politician. ... The modern Knesset building, Israels parliament, in Jerusalem Though similar-sounding, Beit Knesset (בית כנסת) literally means House of Assembly, and refers to a synagogue. ... An ambassador, rarely embassador, is a diplomatic official accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization, to serve as the official representative of his or her own country. ... Holocaust Memorial Day may refer to one of several commemorations of the Holocaust. ... Concentration camp inmates during the Holocaust The Holocaust was Nazi Germanys systematic genocide (ethnic cleansing) of various ethnic, religious, national, and secular groups during World War II. Early elements include the Kristallnacht pogrom and the T-4 Euthanasia Program established by Hitler that killed some 200,000 people. ... The Nazi party used a right-facing swastika as their symbol and the red and black colors were said to represent Blut und Boden (blood and soil). ... The foundation of the U.N. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights issues. ...

Other court rulings

• The High Court ruled that the partner of a gay employee at El Al, Israel's national airline, is entitled to free airline tickets just as the spouse of any heterosexual employee is.
• The High Court recognized a lesbian as the adoptive mother of the four-year-old son of her same-sex partner, and ordered the Interior Ministry to register the adoption.
• An Israeli family court on March 17, 2002 turned down an application from a lesbian couple to have their partnership union declared legal. The couple was united in a civil ceremony in Germany. The women wanted the court to recognize their partnership as a civil marriage, under Israeli law. The court said that since the women are not recognized as a family under Israeli law, the court is not authorized to rule on their case. A government lawyer who was asked by the court to give a legal opinion on the case on behalf of the Israeli government said that the state objected to granting the request.
• On December 14, 2004, the Nazareth District Court ruled that same-sex couples have the same rights as married couples in inheritance rights. This ruling overturned a Family Court ruling that an elderly man from Kiryat Shmona was not entitled to spousal rights. The man had sought the estate of his late partner, with whom he lived for several decades. The Nazareth judges ruled that the term "man and woman" as spelled out in Israel's inheritance law also includes same sex couples. Judges Nissim Maman and Gabriela Levy, who issued the majority opinion, based their decision on a loose interpretation of the term "partner" as defined in other court rulings, such as those dealing with issues related to employee benefits, and thus applied the interpretation to the inheritance law. The acting president of the Nazareth District Court, Menachem Ben-David, issued the minority opinion, arguing that the legal text should not be interpreted "contrary to the lingual significance." A government spokesperson said the ruling will be appealed.
• In December 2004, the Tel Aviv District Court ruled that the government cannot deport the Colombian partner of a gay Israeli man. The 32-year-old Colombian entered Israel on a visitors visa which has long expired and the Interior Ministry had ordered him deported. His partner is an Israeli citizen and a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces. The couple filed an emergency petition with the Tel Aviv District Court. The men were represented by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel. Judge Uzi Vogelman ruled that the government had acted illegally in attempting to deport the man. In 1999 High Court ruling established that the ministry could not deport foreign nationals married to Israeli citizens. Vogelman's decision extends that to apply to common-law marriages, including same-sex couples.

The Supreme Court (Hebrew: בית המשפט העליון, Beit Hamishpat Haelyon ) is at the head of the court system in the State of Israel. ... Categories: Airline stubs | Companies of Israel | Transportation in Israel | Airlines of Israel ... The Interior Minister is a member of a Cabinet in a Government. ... Since 1 August 2001, the civil union of same-sex couples has been recognized in Germany, although outright same-sex marriage is not. ... Nazareth (IPA: ) (Arabic الناصرة an-Nāṣira lit. ... Inheritance is the practice of passing on property, titles, debts, and obligations upon the death of an individual. ... Qiryat Shemona (קרית שמונה; unofficially also spelled Kiryat Shmona) is a city in the North District in Israel. ... Employee benefits (also called fringe benefits, perquisites, or perks) are various non-wage compensations provided to employees in addition to their normal wages or salaries. ... Deportation is the expelling of someone from a country. ... Visa or VISA has several meanings: Look up visa in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Visa (document) — a document required to enter a specific country. ... The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (Hebrew: האגודה לזכויות האזרח) was created as an independent non-partisan organization to protect human rights and civil rights in Israel and the territories under its control. ...

See also

• Civil unions in Israel
• Homosexuality laws of the world

Israel has granted unregistered cohabitation for same-sex couples since 1994, in the form of common law marriage, a status that until then was only extended to heterosexual couples. ... World laws on homosexuality US laws on homosexuality Same-sex unions in Europe. ...

References

For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... October 22 is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 70 days remaining. ...

External links

• Gay life in Israel by Chas Newkey-Burden
• For homosexual Palestinians, Israel is their best shot at safety By Dan Baron for the JTA December 31, 2003
• HUMAN: For Gay Palestinians, Tel Aviv Is Mecca By Kathleen Peratis for the The Forward. February 24, 2006
• Gaymiddleeast.com - Israel section
• Queer In the land of sodom History of Homosexuality in Israel
• Palestine and gay rights | Exclusive | Advocate.com
• Homosexuality rights around the world, includes trivia and notes on current and historical events
• Gay Tel Aviv
• Open House
• Gay Middle East
• Middle East Gay Journal
• Queen Hussein, by Liad Kantorowicz
• StandWithUs flyer: Israel paradise for gay Palestinians
• StandWithUs flyer: Treatment of Gay Palestinians
• blueStarPR flyer: Gay Officers Serve Their Country
• blueStarPR flyer: Next Year in Jerusalem