Israel flyers advocate killing of gays

[deadparrot]

JERUSALEM, July 11 (UPI) -- Flyers offering cash rewards for the killings of homosexuals participating in the upcoming World Pride Jerusalem Parade have been distributed in the city.

The flyers, which promise nearly $5,000 to "anyone who causes the death of one of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah," were found in mailboxes in several Jerusalem neighborhoods, including the ultra-orthodox Mea Shearim area, the Jerusalem Post reported Tuesday.

Ynetnews.com reported the flyers, distributed by a group called the "Red Hand for Redemption," decried the march, scheduled for Aug. 10, saying: "During this parade, 300,000 corrupt animals are anticipated to march through the holy city of Jerusalem, waiting avidly for the chance to put themselves on display before our children and our sacred Torah. They will try as hard as they can to defile as many of our innocent children as they can," Ynetnews.com reported.

The Jerusalem Post said there have been several unconfirmed anonymous reports that the event's organizers were considering moving it to Tel Aviv.

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060711-020751-7363r

[still_one]

1. and we have the religious right we do the same thing

[PerceptionManagement]

26. Is this homegrown Israeli fascism or is it the imported kind?

Because the irony is sort of important here.

[Master Mahon]

2. I wonder if these guys are

affiliated with the US 'Skin Head' group? :+

I wonder why we have to send foreign aid to this country when it seems they have a lot of money they don't have anything better to do with?

[AlienGirl]

4. These are Israeli wingnuts acting on their own

Not the Israeli state itself. Not recipients of US foreign aid, either, unless the US radical religious whack-jobs have been funneling aid to them.

Tucker

[w4rma]

12. It depends on whether the Israeli state legitimately goes after and puts

the flyerers and publishers of the flyers in prison (and whether the sentence is a slap on the wrist or a committed deterence).

I currently think that they will go after them.

[fujiyama]

14. Recall

that Israel, unlike the US actually allows gays to serve in their military.

There is no evidence the government is supporting these fanatics, though it is possible that RW ppolitical parties may be affiliated.

[Zynx]

19. Well stated. n/t

[bunyip]

39. But Israel doesn't allow

Christians or Muslims to serve in its military.

The USA allows gays to serve (thanks to Clinton), as long as they hide their orientation whilst within such a deeply homophobic organisation. That's about as tolerant as is currently possible.

[Behind the Aegis]

40. Wrong...

Druze Arabs and Circassians, like Israeli Jews, serve mandatory service in the IDF. In recent years, some Druze officers have reached positions in the IDF as high as Major General and many have received orders of distinction.

Service is not mandatory for all other Israeli minorities (notably Israeli Arabs but also Black Hebrews and others). However, a large number of Bedouin, as well as some Christian Arabs and even a few Muslim Arabs, volunteer. Six Israeli Arabs have received orders of distinction as a part of their military service; of them the most famous is a Bedouin officer, Lieutenant Colonel Abd El-Amin Hajer (also known as Amos Yarkoni), who received the Order of Distinction. Recently, a Bedouin officer was promoted to the rank of Colonel.

source

[rodeodance]

3. this is dangerous! wonder if the WH will ignore it?

[Laughing Mirror]

5. This is the Torah?

Rabbi Tzvi Graetz of Kehillat Shevet Ahim (Conservative) in Jerusalem's Gilo neighborhood thinks not, says its "nothing more than baseless hatred."

To remind: The first temple was destroyed because of three sins: idol worship, sexual immorality and wanton bloodshed. I want to warn that the way in which these rabbis have chosen to express their opposition to both the parade and homosexuals themselves will lead to bloodshed, as it did last year .

Therefore, their statements are the greatest imaginable desecration of Gods name that has ever happened in Israel. They are much worse than the desire of a particular group to march legally through the streets of Jerusalem.

This Thursday we will mark the fast day of 17 B'Tammuz, in commemoration of the day the Romans breached the walls of Jerusalem and began the process of destroying the second temple. That temple was destroyed because of baseless hatred.
...
The issue at hand is the development of a pure hatred for a sector of our society simply because they are not like us. All the classic elements for baseless hatred are present. Jewish tradition warns us about this time after time.

...more...

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3273833,00.html

[SensibleAmerican]

16. No it's not the Torah

n/t

[Deja Q]

6. They're not worth my response.

[PaDem]

7. Nothing to see here..........

move along, move along.

[warrens]

8. Fundies of all religions are just a little ray of sunshine, aren't they?

Why does religion turn so many people into such vicious scumbags?

[TripeOmatic]

34. It's "the will of God"

Where would religions be without vicious scumbags? Where would vicious scumbags be without religion? I mean, if one wants to justify something - anything - what's better than an unaccountable (never to be held to account) 'higher power'? For scumbags, 'God' is a handy euphemism for 'id'.

[Tom Joad]

9. We need to support liberation for everyone.

[IndianaGreen]

38. Let's start by supporting full civil rights for LGBTs, including marriage!

While Israel and many European countries have made great strides in LGBT rights, the US is sliding back into the Dark Ages. A gay man or lesbian woman is better off living in Israel, or even in Spain where the government has legalized same sex marriage, than they are living in the United States.

[lala_rawraw]

10. Phelps doing work abroad now?

[Scurrilous]

11. ADL 'appalled' by calls to murder gays

Group strongly denounces flyers distributed in Jerusalem offering cash rewards for anyone who kills homosexuals

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3274178,00.html

<snip>

"The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) said in a statement issued Tuesday that it is deeply appalled by the reported message of flyers appearing around Jerusalem calling for the murder of gays.

The flyers, signed by the unknown group “Red Hand for Redemption,” were circulated with promises of a NIS 20,000 bounty to anyone who “causes the death of a sodomite.”

“The Anti-Defamation League is appalled by and totally rejects as unacceptable this incitement to violence of one group toward another. ADL commends those who have spoken out against this bigoted rhetoric and provocation," the organization said.

"We have confidence that the law enforcement agencies will track down those behind this instigation and will see to their prosecution to the full extent of the law,” the statement read."

[BayCityProgressive]

13. Good

I am a member of ADL and very glad they put this statement out. This is just fucking sick.

[SensibleAmerican]

15. This headline is misleadling!!!!

This is a fringe group in Israel. I have some news for you, the state executes gays in Saudi Arabia all the time.

[Zynx]

18. Exactly.

We have groups that are just as bad if not worse here in this country.

[AlamoDemoc]

21. The difference here is that we support Isreal with our tax dollars

Israel is the largest recipient of US financial aid in the world, receiving over one-third of total US aid to foreign countries, even though Israel's population comprises just .001% of the world's population and has one the world's higher per capita incomes.

*Since 1949 the US has given Israel a total of $84,854,827,200. The interest costs born by US taxpayers on behalf of Israel are $49,937,000,000 – making the total amount of aid given to Israel since 1949 $134,791,507,200 (more than $134 billion).

*The total cost of this financial aid to US tax payers per Israeli is $23,240.


http://www.washington-report.org/html/us_aid_to_israel.htm

[BayCityProgressive]

22. did you not read

that this is not being supported by the government? You can argue the validity of giving Israel money on other issues but the government has nothing to do with this. These people are no worse than Phelps type groups or Anne Coulter here.

[Behind the Aegis]

41. For some, it doesn't matter.

They grind the axe any where they can.

[IndianaGreen]

23. LGBTs are better off and safer in Israel than they are in the US

Do you know of any transgender pop stars in the US? No, of course not! Yet Israel has Dana International:



"I am representing a liberal Israel, an Israel which accepts the human being no matter how you are, no matter how you look like and no matter what sex or race you are"

-Dana International

http://www.dana-international.net/

[AlamoDemoc]

27. I appreciate you bringing forth Israelis that appose the occupation

...of Palestine.

[RFKHumphreyObama]

44. What has that got to do with anything?

This is a group which is by all accounts separate from the government and not aligned or supported in any way by the government. Israel also has left wing groups such as Peace Now, Human Rights Watch, Meretz and the like.

If you were going to base foreign aid and diplomatic ties with foreign nations without fringe elements who advocate extremist and rephrensible policies but who are condemned by the government, who would you have left to deal with?

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

24. Misleading, how?

"Israel flyers advocate killing of gays"

What does that mislead people into? That's exactly what happened.

[AliceWonderland]

32. What on earth is the point of bringing up Saudi Arabia?

What, if an Arab or Muslim does something bad it makes what an Israeli or Jew does okay? Eesh. I actually thought I might get through this thread without seeing something like that, but I think I was too optmistic.

[TripeOmatic]

35. How is it misleading? The fact that the Saudis aren't out of the

dark ages (Ha! You thought I was going to say CLOSET didn't you?) and that "the state executes gays in Saudi Arabia all the time" is a bit like saying to the prisoners at Auschwitz that they should be glad that they haven't met Attila the Hun in a dark alley yet. Very soothing!

[IndianaGreen]

17. This is a smear to those of us that graduated from Gomorrah High School

We used to kick the ass of Sodom High School in football every year, and they loved us for it!

As to the so-called "Red Hand for Redemption," they sound like a group of masterbaiters from America!

[queenbdem87]

20. I was called a corrupt animal in bed once with my gay lover.

[Skittles]

30. ??

who called you that? You want I should kick their ass? :mad:

[JerseygirlCT]

25. Wow. nt

[TheWraith]

28. Isn't hate speech illegal in Israel?

I vaguely recall something to that effect.

[AlamoDemoc]

29. I think many of us would want to read this article...so

I :kick:

[Biernuts]

31. Obviously, this is Rove & Lieberman's fault (n/t)

[AlamoDemoc]

33. LOOOL.....welcome to DU

...and allow me to kick your well thought-out response..


:kick:

[drhilarius]

36. Religion is Fun!!!

It's the best thing ever to happen to the world!!!! :sarcasm:

[Poll_Blind]

37. New York rabbi joins the fight (See story inside)

N.Y. rabbi arrives to fight gay pride parade to be held in J'lem

PB

[Behind the Aegis]

42. Police probe flyer offering NIS 20,000 for murder of gay people

Jerusalem police on Tuesday opened an investigation into the offer of a NIS 20,000 reward for killing gay people, one month before an international gay pride parade is set to take place in the capital.

Unsigned flyers in the ultra-Orthodox Jerusalem neighborhood of Mea Shearim blared out "Death to the Sodomites," and offered the reward for "whoever causes the death of one of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah." The flyers also included instructions on how to make firebombs.

"This flyer is part of an incitement and de-legitimization campaign on the part of Mayor Lupolianski and the ultra-Orthodox public against the gay and lesbian population in Jerusalem," said Sa'ar Netanel (Meretz), a member of the Jerusalem city council and a leader of the gay community in Jerusalem. "The flyers just prove how important the parade is to the city."

The Anti-Defamation League condemned the flyers on Tuesday.

more...

ALSO

The right to be gay

Two significant events related to the gay community are due to take place shortly in Jerusalem, the city of three religions and the capital of Israel. Over the next few months, an expanded panel of the High Court of Justice will rule on a petition filed by five male couples who wed in Canada and are asking the Interior Ministry to register them as married. In addition, the international Gay Pride parade is slated to take place in the city next month.

The five couples are demanding that the state register them as married, just as it registers heterosexual couples as married if they are wed abroad. The gay couples are arguing that the Interior Ministry's refusal to register them as married impinges on their right to equality. The state counters that Israel does not have a "suitable legal model" for recognizing same-sex marriages.

The institution of couplehood is constantly in flux. Once, polygamy was allowed; today, it is a criminal offense. Once, homosexuality was a criminal offense; today, Western culture recognizes the right of the individual to love someone of his or her own sex. In Israel, too, there has been significant progress, and same-sex couples have been recognized as partners in common-law marriages for the sake of issues such as financial agreements, inheritance and survivors' benefits.

We hope that the justices will further this trend in their ruling. But there is no doubt that ultimately, as Attorney General Menachem Mazuz has said, it is up to the Knesset to decide whether to recognize same-sex marriages, and it is up to the Knesset to legislate recognition of same-sex couplehood.


more...

[Riverman]

43. READ "The End of Faith" by Sam Harris

He is a religious studies grad from Standord who began writing this excellent, provocative book on Sept 12, 2001. He argues that faith - the belief in something without evidence - the dogma of almost all religions, is the cause of so much misery and death on this planet. Jews, Christians, Muslims - give up your religions, espcially you moderate religious - give it up, its killings up, really!