Gay Palestinians and Sanctuary in Israel

Today a Knesset member from the Meretz party called on the Arab nations to sign an international declaration outlawing criminal prohibition of homosexuality. And he called on the Palestinian authority to halt the persecution of homosexuals within its territory.

At the same time he said that Israel should offer sanctuary to "gay Palestinian refugees." Now there is a bitter phrase indeed. Does he mean refugees from the territory that is now the nation of Israel who happen to be gay? Or does he mean refugees from the nascent Palestinian state bordering Israel who are fleeing because of anti-gay persecution?

Don't get me wrong. I am a supporter of Israel (if not its government policies) and I think it's the best place to be in the Middle East if you're queer in any way (despite the insanity of fundamentalist Orthodox Jews). My heart goes out to the suffering of the Palestinian people. And I am appalled by the suffering they inflict on their gay brothers and sisters. So certainly these people need a place to run to.

There was a documentary a few years back about Palestinian runaways — young gay men who fled to Israel, and as illegals, work as hustlers and are terrified of being deported home. It was sad on so many levels. And reading accounts of the terrors inflicted on gay men in Iraq today is bone chilling. So I can't fault MK Nitzan Horowitz for speaking out on the issue.

But at the same time, it feels somewhat like a PR ploy to the world, saying that when you look at the values of the West, and you look at what's going in the Middle East, you should be standing with Israel. It feels like waving a hand to distract from all the indignities that Arab-Israeli citizens must live with, and the difficulties in the Palestinian territory.

And despite this, I am proud that he made this call. Because you know at the same time, crazy fundamentalist parties in the Knesset will scream blue murder on this. As will the parties on the right.

What a complicated world.