One political issue in which Israel is receiving a lot of focus in recent weeks, due mostly to the new right-wing government that several openly homophobic individuals are a part of, is LGBTQ rights. In the 21st century, one cannot avoid socially conservative commentary that doesn’t include LGBTQ rights and policies, and for good reason since by definition, it prefers traditional values over progressive expansions of social norms. That being said, conservatism is just as relative as progressivism is, and compared to Israel’s Palestinian counterparts, conservative policy on queer rights would be a huge leap toward modern progressive values.

Like all Abrahamic religions traditionally and religiously speaking, Judaism prohibits homosexuality. As a result, the status quo in Israeli social conservative circles for LGBTQ rights in recent years has mainly been to preserve traditional Jewish values while avoiding any confrontation with the LGBTQ community. For example, while civil marriages are yet to be broadly accepted among Israeli politicians, federal common-law spouse legislation has already been implemented so long-term partners can benefit from the various tax and social benefits offered to married couples. In essence, while there is no formal approval of gay marriage, homosexuals who marry enjoy the same benefits within the state as heterosexuals do. 

Brilliant! A picture with a ‘Queers for a free Palestine’ banner! The same ‘Queers’ that the Palestinians and other Arabs publicly hang or throw off of tall buildings!

‘Pinkwashing’ means that LGBTQ people, including gay Palestinians, are safe and accepted in Israel!

— Yitzhak Intraif (@intraif) December 30, 2022

Another example would be while Pride Parades in Jerusalem are frowned upon by some politicians due to the large Orthodox and Religious demographics of the city, Tel Aviv pridefully (pun intended) hosts some of the largest annual LGBTQ events in the entire Mediterranean basin. In fact, for decades the White City's Pride Parade has been hailed as among the best in the world. Another interesting fact that mainstream media often fails to report is that The State of Israel absorbs hundreds of Gay asylum seekers from Palestine every single year who have run away from potential beheadings in cities like Hebron, Ramallah, and Nablus. 

Palestinian traditional values and policies have been extremely aggressive towards LGBTQ rights, to say the least. According to a horrific report of one of these asylum seekers by the Associated Press just this past October, “The severed head and decapitated torso of a 25-year-old Palestinian were discovered on the side of a road in the occupied West Bank, police said Friday…” It was further added that it wasn’t quite clear why Abu Murkhiyeh, a native of Hebron, returned home after fleeing, and that “Palestinian social media was gripped by the grisly killing, but silent on the question of Abu Murkhiyeh’s sexuality."

Beheading gays in Palestine, your love ♥️ pic.twitter.com/c0q3fjJGV9

— Gilad Ronen 🇸🇨 (@Baconnaise_) October 8, 2022

While the Judea and Samaria-based Palestinian Authority have officially “decriminalized” same-sex relations, it turns a blind eye to harassment and even harm that comes to openly gay Palestinians within their communities. The decriminalization legislation was more a means to qualify for European Union funds than an altruistic gesture meant to change public opinion. Meanwhile, in the Gaza Strip, Hamas has laws on the books that call for the incarceration for up to ten years of anyone suspected of homosexuality. Meanwhile, transgender LGBTQ+ members are not even reported on due to just how unacceptable they are considered in Palestinian society.  

Even in the PA, the “decriminalization” of homosexuality is hotly debated. The few who openly identify as 'not heterosexual', yes not Gay or LGBTQ but on official forms 'non-heterosexual' cannot donate blood and are subject to government-approved conversion therapy along with no legal protection from housing or workplace discrimination. According to a Pew Research Center study from 2013, 93% of Palestinians think their society should not accept anything about LGBTQ citizens. So a law decriminalizing homosexuality exists, but there are still policies that serve to 'fix' the LGBTQ Palestinian citizen and if harm does befall that person there is no criminal or punitive consequence.

On the other hand, a poll commissioned by the “Hiddush” organization in 2017 showed that 79% of all Israelis think LGBTQ civil marriages should become lawful. The poll dives even deeper into Israeli public opinion and specifically targets those polled who identify as religious Zionists. According to the data, 65% of the same people who voted for candidates like Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir in Israel’s recent elections support reforms in the name of LGBTQ rights such as civil marriage or civil unions. 

Now tweet about treatment if lgbtq+ in “Palestine.” Hint: they get executed in Gaza, and live in fear under Abbas’ govt and try to flee to Israel for safe haven.

— gLoRiA sChWaRtZ 🤪 (@SchwartzTime) December 27, 2022

Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, the head rabbi of the Yeshiva of Har Bracha in Samaria, who is regarded as a “Posek” (Authority) on modern Orthodox Jewish law is famous for writing on the Jewish viewpoint of homosexuality in his book “Peninei Halacha”. According to the rabbi, Homosexuality is even less severe than not observing the Sabbath and therefore the action needed to be taken is not distancing LGBTQ members from Judaism but working to help them find a path into Jewish life. 

From every single political, religious and public view standpoint, Israel is largely aligned with preserving human rights on all levels, including LGBTQ rights. Just how liberal the policies needed to act on their unified intentions is debated. What is agreed upon is violence or God forbid the beheading of homosexuals as seen in the Palestinian public is strictly and unanimously shunned. Not one current Knesset Member from any Israeli demographic could even imagine ignoring the gruesome and evil killings of homosexuals like the entire Palestinian public has been doing since their very creation.