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Travel Advice for Gay Visitors to Israel
Israel has made much progress since the 1980s, when laws regarding
homosexual activity were changed. A decision by the government to
award pensions of deceased military officers to their surviving partners,
regardless of sex or of marital status, was a landmark in changing attitudes.
However, an open gay scene has only really emerged in Tel Aviv, which Time-Out
called the "most gay-friendly city in the Middle East" (this may seem
quite obvious, but Tel Aviv is mellow by any western standard). A score of bars,
cafes, and clubs offer a constantly changing calendar of theme nights and
parties. For the past several years, Tel Aviv, as well as more conservative,
traditional Jerusalem, has hosted official gay pride parades. The Jerusalem
parades, however, have been marked by violence and (in a rare display of unity)
condemnation by leading Muslim, Christian, and Jewish religious authorities.
Eilat, somewhat like Tel Aviv, has developed a general attitude of tolerance;
Resource organizations include the Association for GLBT in Israel, 28 Nachmani
St., Tel Aviv (tel. 03/620-5590; office@glbt.org.il); CLAF (Community of
Feminist Lesbians in Israel; tel. 054/531-9855); and the Political Council for
GLBT Rights in Israel (tel. 03/613-2418).
Support and Crisis Lines: The White Line for emotional counseling (tel.
03/732-5560) is open daily from 7:30 to 11:30pm; Someone Listens (tel.
03/516-7236) is the info and counseling line for the Association for GLBT; and
Gay-friendly Psychologists and Therapists is at tel. 03/516-7235.
Minerva, 98 Allenby St., Tel Aviv (tel. 03/560-3801), is a relatively venerable
and centrally located bar that was once a lesbian meeting point, but now has a
gay section and is pan-sexually friendly and savvy. It's open daily from 10pm
until very late.
In Jerusalem, things are quieter but opening up. There is a very active place
called Open House at 2 Ha Soreg St., 2nd floor (tel. 02/625-3191); Ha Soreg
Street is 2 blocks east of Zion Square off Jaffa Road.
Note that in the Palestinian/Arabic communities throughout Israel, and in East
Jerusalem, the West Bank, Jordan, and Egypt, any kind of openly gay or lesbian
behavior is completely forbidden both by custom and by law. Extreme caution and
the lowest possible profile are advised. Similar discretion must be observed in
the Jewish ultra-religious and Hassidic neighborhoods of Jerusalem north of Jaffa
Road (such as Mea Shearim); in the Old City of Jerusalem; in Safed, which has a
largely religious population; and in small, less-touristy Israeli towns where
the character of the population may not be clear.
* The information is provided by the good people at Frommers
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