US embassy rejects ‘Pride’ in Israel

The United States Embassy in Israel is boycotting the country’s annual Pride celebrations in a major reversal of US policy.

In past years, the US embassy participated in LGBTQ celebrations in June, which has been declared “Pride Month” by activists. The embassy has also been known to host its own Pride celebrations. This year, however, the US Embassy sent a letter to Israel’s Foreign Ministry saying that it will do neither.

"Given the policy priorities of the Trump Administration, the U.S. Embassy will not be conducting programming related to LGB issues," the email said. According to Haaretz, the “TQ” was dropped deliberately from "LGBTQ" in line with Trump administration policy.

This means the US Embassy will not participate in the Tel Aviv Pride Parade, the largest in the region and one of the largest in the world with over 200,000 participants. In previous years, embassy staff joined the celebrations and contributed resources to the parade. Diplomats from Europe and Canada will participate this year, as they have in prior years.

The US embassy also did not participate in the annual Pride Parade held last week in Jerusalem, which was attended by officials from other countries. 

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, an Evangelical Christian, has openly rejected gender ideology. In 2015, he reportedly quipped that asking Christians to accept the LGBT agenda is “like asking someone Jewish to start serving bacon-wrapped shrimp in their deli.”

Bruce ‘Caitlyn’ Jenner

This year’s Tel Aviv Pride Parade was expected to be smaller than in past years, but not because of the US Embassy’s decision. The Israeli Tourism Ministry has chosen to host Bruce “Caitlyn” Jenner as this year’s Pride celebrity. Jenner, a supporter of President Trump who has repeatedly slammed gender ideology’s ideological takeover of other cultures, has Israeli LGBT activists divided. 

"Although Jenner is recognized by the general public as a prominent trans figure, over the years she has expressed open, consistent and documented support for anti-trans policies, while joining the Trump administration, which has turned the violation of the rights of the trans community into a political banner,” Project Gila, an Israeli radical Left organization, wrote in a letter to Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai on Tuesday. “Her political positions and actions do not represent the values of the struggle for equality, justice and human rights.”

Other gender activists were encouraging those who oppose Jenner’s participation to avoid the parade.

In the end, Tel Aviv Pride Parade was cancelled all together as Israel expected a response to its attack on Iranian nuclear weapons development facilities.

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