Hi,
Tel Aviv has the biggest, most invested, most popular and known of all gay parades of Israel. It is well established, and many more gay parades, in other cities in Israel are following it. Ramat Gan new mayor, Carmel Shama-Hacohen, also decided to run one in our city – Ramat Gan gay parade. This is another step in what seems be Ramat Gan Sabbath war, and changes in the status quo of religion issues in the city I live in.
I did grow up and raised in Jerusalem I am well familiar with those Sabbath wars. As a child I remember we were talking about Bar Ilan street. The street run along ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods, and used to be on of the main roads of the city before Begin highway was opened in 1998.
The street became the symbol of Jerusalem Sabbath war – The Ultra-Orthodox used to block it while police and non-religious population tried to drive through it (and bombed with diapers full of poop, rocks and burning garbage cans). It ended when the Supreme court decided that the road will be closed during prayers and open during the rest of time. It has been a long time since I last drove in this area in Sabbath but I am pretty sure it is closed now during the whole Sabbath.
In 2009 the Sabbath war was about Intel factory in Har Hotzvim working during Sabbath. Har Hotzvim is just below Northern Jerusalem ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods, and although the factory had been working since 1984, the ultra-Orthodox demanded not to allow it to work during Sabbath. I remember I went over there to watch them protest against it.
Now the Sabbath war is here in Ramat Gan. It is symbolic the city sits between Tel-Aviv (the most liberal city in Israel) and Bnei Brak (one of Israel biggest ultra-Orhodox cities). The new Mayor asks to push the city towars Tel Aviv – Adding public transpiration on Sabbath, make the city more Gay friendly and more. Things the religious public disagree with.
Carmel Shama-Hacohen with the benches colored in the Gay flag color. Some of the ads of the first Gay parade in Ramat Gan were vandalized (source:IsraelHayom).
An Ad calls to the religious public to join a protest against Ramat Gan Mayor (credit:Kipa)
An ad on Ramat Gan street saying: “Narrow and short cloths, make the public sin and shorten life.” Another face of the religious conflict (Credit: Oded Ilani)