Gay Scuffle In J’Lem

It’s been quite a queer week for Israel.

Things were looking bright on Wednesday, when Tel Aviv opened its first gay community center. Unfortunately, the situation turned a bit dark yesterday after MK’s in Jerusalem announced plans to ban the city’s pride march. Well, now we turn our attention back to Tel Aviv, where gay pride marchers and right wing zealots had a small tussle:

The [right wing] demonstrators held signs which read: ‘Animals! You have nothing to be proud of, take your medication.’

Meanwhile, [liberal party] Meretz faction chairperson Zahava Gal-On, who attended the march, slammed Shas and its chairman Eli Yishai, who on Thursday attempted to prevent the parade from going ahead by filing a compliant to police.

“Yishai cannot profit politically at the expense of the participants in the Gay Pride parade,” said Gal-On, adding that Shas was “trying take us back to the Middle Ages.”

No one was hurt, nor did police intervene. Apparently the rivals simply called it quits.