Russian-Israeli businessman Arcadi Gaydamak doesn't mince words when it comes to the gays.

Gaydamak, who hopes to be Jerusalem's next mayor, said Monday that he'd rather die than allow another gay pride in the holy city:

When I'm elected mayor, I would die before allowing the pride parade to be held in Jerusalem. They want to be proud? They're allowed to. They want to demonstrate? Fine. But the streets of Jerusalem are a symbol, and parading on them would be an aggressive act against our tradition, against our values and against our morale. I would lie on the ground in order to block the march and would even die before I approve the pride parade in the city.

Gaydamak also criticized current Jerusalem mayor Uri Lupolianski for allowing pride in exchange for "political gain."

Gay pride went off without a hitch today in Jerusalem, where an estimated 3,000 people came out to celebrate same-sex loving. But, being a holy city and all, there were also a fair amount of protesters on the streets:

At a counter-protest in one of Jerusalem's ultra-Orthodox neighbourhoods several hundred men gathered wearing ash on their foreheads and burlap sacks over their black suits in a Biblical ritual of repentance.

Some demonstrators held holy books, rocked back and forth and prayed, while others raised banners in English reading "Shame," "The Supreme Court is destroying the Holy City" and "Don't sodomise Jerusalem."

In addition to gay rights activists and their opponents, secular politico Haim Oron joined in on the fun, saying, "I came to support the demonstrators and to associate myself with their aims — their struggle is not just about the gay community, it's about having a pluralist society in Israel."

Gay activists in Jerusalem can breath a sigh of relief.

The Ultra-Orthodox opponents seem to be scaling back their protests for this year's pride event. Last year's pride resulted in right wing riots, which drew a lot of attention. Thus, conservatives are trying to turn a blind eye:

There are signs that the protest will be less problematic than in past years as the Ultra-Orthodox community now understands that their protests attract publicity to what they view as a sinful parade and expose their children to the gay and lesbian communities.

It sounds to us like even this "less significant" presence will generate news. Face it, folks: we homos grab headlines!

Oy vey. As Tel Aviv unveiled its new gay community center today, politicians in Jerusalem have launched an amendment to ban the city's gay pride:

A group of MKs, mostly religious, decided on Wednesday to promote an amendment to the Jerusalem Basic Law that would ban the Gay Pride Parade from taking place in the city.

The lawmakers decided to sign a petition addressed to the chairman of the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee Menahem Ben Sasson, urging him to advance the bill that was submitted last year, yielding little progress since.

National Religious Party-National Union MK Eliyahu Gabbay, who initiated the amendment, said: "It is unacceptable that Ben-Sasson stalls decisions that were made in a democratic procedure. It is an anti-democratic move. Personal considerations should stay away from the democratic process."

The opposition parties are also planning ten mass demonstrations on pride day. Sounds like a par-tay!

The Anglican's gay debates took a new spin this week. Homophobic leaders are threatening to hold their own Jersualem-based conference ahead of the international communion's Lambeth meeting in London this summer.

Jerusalem's Archibishop Suheil Dawani, however, says he hasn't been consulted. Nor does he condone the meeting.

I am deeply troubled that this meeting, of which we had no prior knowledge, will import inter-Anglican conflict into our diocese.

It could also have serious consequences for our ongoing ministry of reconciliation in this divided land. We who minister here know only too well what happens when two sides cease talking to each other. We do not want to see any further dividing walls.

Sydney Archbishop Peter Jensen, however, fears the crumbling walls: Some American Anglicans are as committed to their new sexual ethics as to the Gospel itself…The problems posed by the American church are not going to remain in America."

While we're on the subject of gay rumors and politicians, Condoleezza Rice's alleged lesbianism made the front page of the National Enquirer. The Secretary of State's head floats amidst the headline, "Who's Gay and Who's Not?".

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Cover those mirrors! It's time to sit shiva for Jerusalem's only gay bar, the Shushan Pub. The four-year old drinking hole will close this week, for despite being the only space of its kind, the poor pub simply can't turn a profit. It did, however, challenge Israel's social divisions.

Says co-owner Saar Netanel:

Shushan is the only place in Israel where the Haredi [ultra-Orthodox], Arabs, religious and secular could sit together and have a good time. When they left Shushan, each returned to his own ghetto.

Things weren't always sunshine and lollipops, of course. Shushan went up in flames two years ago after arsonists did their destructive thing. Even then, however, Netanel didn't give up his dreams. Unfortunately reality has a way of creeping up: "At age 36, I am interested in other things. With all due respect to ideology, ideology does not pay the rent or municipal taxes." Um, duh! Why do you think Palestine's so poor?

Approximately 10,000 Orthodox Jews of various sects marched through Jerusalem yesterday to protest the so-called holy city's forthcoming gay pride. Scheduled for this Thursday, Jersualem's gay pride's one of the most contentious in the world.

All three major religions attack so-called gay pride attacks on Jerusalem's "holy" history and righteous esteem.

The Haredim, however, may be losing steam of their own. Organizers projected 100,000 participants and yesterday's crumpled numbers suggest a shift in how holy men deal with the homos.

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Tel Aviv's gay pride went off without a hitch last week, but gays still wait for word on the fate of Jerusalem's event. Lawmakers will announce tomorrow whether the queers can crusade down the streets of the holy city.

The event's scheduled for June 21st, but police worry that religious fanatics will disrupt the fag-flavored festivities. No doubt they're weighing anti-Zionist Jewish group Eda Haredit's recent anti-gay admonishment:

To all those involved, sinners in spirit, and whoever helps and protects them, may they feel a curse on their souls, may it plague them and may evil pursue them; they will not be requitted of their transgressions from heavenly judgment.

Eda Haredit's just one conservative group vowing to protest the parade.

Jerusalem's gay activists, meanwhile, say they'll appeal the High Court if police prohibit pride. Flex that muscle, homos!

Approximately 3,000 gays gathered in Tel Aviv today to celebrate the Israeli cities gay pride. The march - which other report as 15,000 strong - comes just days after Knesset approved the first reading of a bill that would ban gay pride - and other "dangerous" gatherings - in the ever-holy Jerusalem and, possibly, all of Israel.

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As the Latvian Lavenders celebrate a successful pride, Israeli queers are gearing up for Jerusalem's forthcoming festivities. The historically holy city's coppers have given the June 21 event the go-ahead.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told the press, "We agreed in principle at a meeting with the organizers that this demonstration can go ahead." Authorities have not, however, ironed out the parade's route and itinerary.

No doubt everyone's worried about the nation's religious right, who have vowed to protest pride, as they did last year. In fact, the crazies are already gearing up for the anti-gay action. Police have arrested an unidentified 37-year man for allegedly vandalizing a gay center's bulletin board.

Meanwhile, in other news: Uri Lupolianski, the mayor of Jerusalem, found himself stoned while visiting an ultra-orthodox neighborhood. For those of you not paying attention, there's been a fierce fight over Friday's gay pride parade in the city. The more conservative religious types aren't so keen on the idea and are promising violence if the parade goes ahead. Even though Lupolianski spoke out against the parade, many people still hold him responsible for what they see as an affront to their holy city. Ynet News reports:

Despite the fact that Lupolianski has called out against holding the parade in the city, many in the haredi community hold him directly responsible.

Word spread quickly of the “Zionist” mayor’s visit to the heart of Me’a Shearim, prompting dozens of haredim to make their way to the hall and stone the structure.

Meanwhile, rioting continues to crop up around the city and police are preparing for what will undoubtedly be a traumatic day on Friday.

Don't worry, though, the Muslims and the Jews are still united against the homos.

From one religion to the next here at Queerty.

A group of ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel held a rally yesterday protesting Jerusalem's Gay Pride Parade, the seemingly cursed international gay event. After a bitter fight for permits, the event had to be rescheduled after the war between Israel and Lebanon broke out: a war the homo-haters insist resulted from World Pride itself. Ynet News reports:

“The war in the north broke out as soon as the parade was announced,” a Mea Shearim resident [said]…“Rabbis are fearful of another war,” the haredi said, adding that a special request has been forwarded to Diaspora Jews “so they too would protest and act for the preservation of Jerusalem’s sanctity.”

Um, we're not military experts here, but we don't think the war started because of the homos. We attribute it more to kidnapped soldiers and the fact that Hezbollah thinks Israel's an imperialist colonizer. But, that's just us.

Anyway, to combat the homo-influx, detractors are organizing an even larger protest to coincide with the November 10th celebration.

The parade falls on the day after the 16th anniversary of the murder of Rabbi Meir Kahane, and his followers, who are expected visit his grave on the Mount of Olives on the day the parade is scheduled to take place, said they would ‘take advantage of the memorial ceremony for Kahane to fight the gay parade.’

While only words were lobbed at yesterday's rally, many fear that if the ultra-Orthodox and the ultra-Gay come together, there'll be more than just a shouting match.

We're fairly anti-violent folk here at Queerty, but we can't help get a little excited over the prospect of a gay v. Jew fight. Can you imagine? The queers would try to strangle the Jews with boas, while the Jews would whip them with their tallits.

We've got our money on the fags. The Jews may be the chosen ones, but you know those homos can throw down like whoa.