Sunday, April 22, 2012

Palestinian Gays Flocking to "Apartheid" Israel; Zion-Loathers Yawn

Here's a narrative that conflicts--big time--with the Zion-loathers' "pinkwashing" (their disinclination to discuss the reality of gay rights in the Middle East--i.e. that gays have rights galore in Israel and none at all in the rest of the Middle East, where their queerness is treated as capital crime for which death sentences are meted out on a regular basis). It's by Jonathan Tobin in Contentions:
Palestinian gays not only can’t come out at home. If they want to meet as a group, the only place they can go is Tel Aviv, where as the Times of Israel notes, a monthly gathering called the Palestinian Queer Party convenes. That’s because the repressive Muslim culture that predominates in the territories considers gays to be anathemas while Israel is a liberal democracy where, despite deep differences between various elements of society, people can live and do as they please. Though the “Israel is apartheid” crowd is at pains to stifle discussion of the gay angle to the Middle East conflict, it actually tells you all you need to know about the difference between the two societies and why hopes for peace need to wait until Palestinians embrace freedom for their own people as well as coexistence with Jews.
I think what we have here is a perfect example of cognitive dissonance. The "Israel is apartheid" crowd can see the truth about gay rights in Israel and environs, which, perversely, makes them cling all the more to their hateful fantasies about apartheid (because to let them go is to let go of who they--the virtue-mongers--are).

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