Jerusalem – Thousands were expected to participate in Jerusalem’s annualGay Pride march Thursday under high security following a knife attack by aJewish religious extremist that killed a teenager in 2015.
Police were deploying some 2,500 undercover and uniformed officers for theparade that starts at a park in the Holy City and continues through nearbystreets in the late afternoon and into the evening.
Ahead of the march, police said they had arrested two people suspected ofplanning to disrupt the event, without providing further details.
This year marks the 18th Gay Pride march in Jerusalem, but due to thecity’s conservative religious character, controversy and even violence haveerupted at times.
The city has hung rainbow flags along the march’s route despite Jerusalemchief rabbi Avi Stern requesting it not be done to “avoid hurting thefeelings of part of the population.”
City hall has also ordered the removal of posters denouncing the march andreading “Father and Mother = Family. The courage to be normal.”
A 2015 knife attack that killed a 16-year-old girl and wounded severalothers remains fresh in the minds of many.
The attacker was Yishai Shlissel, an ultra-Orthodox Jew now serving a lifesentence.
Shlissel had spent 10 years in jail after a similar attack on the 2005Jerusalem Gay Pride march and had been released just three weeks before theevent, leading to heavy criticism of the police.
The Jerusalem parade has taken on added significance since then, with manyfrom outside the gay community joining the march in solidarity and to callfor tolerance.
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Organisers were planning to leave flowers at the location of the stabbing.
Israel has the most open attitude to homosexuality in the Middle East, witha large and influential gay community.
But conservative Jerusalem, which is sacred to Jews, Muslims andChristians, is far less gay-friendly than liberal Tel Aviv.
The march takes place only in mainly Jewish west Jerusalem and not in thecity’s annexed eastern sector, which is claimed by the Palestinians as thecapital of their future state.
On Wednesday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced theappointment of Israel’s first openly gay minister.
But many analysts saw Amir Ohana’s appointment as justice minister monthsahead of September 17 elections as strictly politically motivated since hehas expressed support for a proposal that would result in Netanyahu beinggranted immunity from prosecution.
Netanyahu faces possible indictment for corruption in the months ahead.
