Israelis banned from Madrid gay pride parade over flotilla incident

10 June 2010

A delegation of gay residents of Tel Aviv has been banned from joining a gay pride march in Madrid because city authorities failed to condemn the recent Israel attack on the Gaza flotilla, the UK newspaper ‘The Guardian’ reports. "After what has happened, and as human rights campaigners, it seemed barbaric to us to have them taking part," the paper quotes Antonio Poveda of the Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Transsexuals and Bisexuals in Spain as saying.

The Tel Aviv group have reacted angrily to the decision, claiming that the Madrid activists were getting their priorities wrong by mixing the flotilla incidents with gay pride. "I cannot recall anyone asking the Tel Aviv city hall to either support or condemn in this case. That is not their job. I also don't recall Madrid's gay organizations condemning any of the Palestinian terrorist attacks on cafés or buses," Eytan Schwartz, a spokesman for Tel Aviv city, told the newspaper ‘El Mundo’.

Schwartz said that Tel Aviv had also extended an invitation to Madrid to send a delegation of gay activists to the city. Among other things, Tel Aviv had planned to take the Spanish organizers of the march to Gaza so they could witness a place "that is controlled by the fundamentalists of Hamas, who do not respect any human rights and believe that homosexuals should be killed," Schwartz said.

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JAKOV, about 1 year ago

Thank G-d for the Spaniards! Reminding us of the Torah commandment against such acts of "gay" eople! Take note all Jews - this is what we shopuld all be doing!

Len, about 1 year ago

How ironic. Israel is the only Middle East country that doesn't persecute gays. Arab gays flee to Israel. Yet Spanish gays punish Israel. Anti-Semitism runs deep.

Sonia, about 1 year ago

As a Spanish citizen I am totally ashamed of this attitude. People are free to express their opinions so if the delegation of the Tel Aviv gays did not want to condemn what happened in the ship, which was a ship controlled by Hamas, it was their right to do it. This is a stupid excuse given by the Spanish organizers. Apart from this, the organizers should think that the Palestinians would never accept a gay parade because they hate gays. The attitude of the Spanish gays is absolutely wrong.

Mr. Morality, about 1 year ago

Let those gays set off on their own flotilla to Sodom & Gemorrah. There is no place in the moral world for these deviates.

Vivian Flamm, about 1 year ago

Nice answer. Who is Spain to comment on human rights abuses? Ask the Basques about that.

Gail, about 1 year ago

Hate all over the wrold for Jews of the world takes precedence over all else, including the killing of one's own. What's new?

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