Israeli Gays Say Orthodox Created Culture That Led To Shooting Last Week

Time reported yesterday that in Israel, police are conducting a manhunt throughout Tel Aviv seeking the masked gunman who killed two and wounded 15 at a gay youth organization's headquarters on Saturday night. Haaretz said that the gunman stormed into a basement room in the Tel Aviv Gay and Lesbian Association building and opened fire on teenagers attending a weekly support group meeting. The gay community charges that anti-gay incitement by Orthodox Jewish rabbis and politicians created an atmosphere conducive to the shooting. Tel Aviv is a favorite vacation spot for gay tourists, and the Israel Ministry of Tourism has a marketing campaign specifically directed to the gay community. However Tel Aviv is just west of the ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Brak. While Israel's chief rabbis, and the Orthodox Shas Party, have all strongly condemned the shootings, there has been an ongoing culture war between gays and the Orthodox. Last year, a former Shas Party Health Minister blamed a series of small earthquakes on the rise in homosexual activity.