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Homosexuals Hold Protest in Jerusalem in Wake of Nixed Pride Parade

By Peter J. Smith

JERUSALEM, August 11, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - While northern Israel suffers daily rocket attacks, and Israelis hide in bomb shelters, they can rest easy knowing that against all the odds Jerusalem’s homosexuals still held a silent protest over the lack of “tolerance” for their behavior and for the gay pride parade they never had.

According to the Jerusalem Post, about 200 gay activists gathered for a subdued protest vigil in Jerusalem’s Liberty Bell Park on Thursday evening, after police agreed to allow them to demonstrate in the park. Initially Jerusalem authorities had cancelled even that event, which was to replace the cancelled pride parade, but then agreed to permit the event after exacting conditions from the protesters.

"At a time when Jewish blood is being spilt in Lebanon, all that these self-indulgent narcissistic, selfish, perverted people can think about is engaging in sodomy," said New York Rabbi Yehuda Levin, of the Orthodox Rabbinical Alliance of America and the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the US and Canada. Rabbi Levin has lead the international fight to keep the Holy City free from the homosexual pride event.

The police did intervene in the protest to remove a number of anarchists who joined the vigil, unfurled a Palestinian flag, and raised their anti-war placards among the other homosexual rainbow slogans, which read “The Path to God is not always straight" and "Senseless hatred."

"We believe that the holiness of Jerusalem is increased by this city being the center of tolerance and coexistence," said Rabbi Ayelet Cohen, 32, who lead a delegation from New York City's Congregation Beth Simhat Torah, the world's largest homosexual synagogue.

The event finished the six-day World Pride Event in Jerusalem, not with a bang, but with a whimper, since the current war with terrorist groups, Hezbollah and Hamas, prompted a police decision to bar the planned World Pride parade through the streets.

Rabbi Levin, however, criticized police for "wimping out like French poodles" by reneging on their pledge to stop the protest, after the homosexual protesters made clear they would violate the police ban.
 
Police spokesman Shmuel Ben-Ruby maintained police did not disperse the event since protesters did not take the gathering into streets, block traffic or use bullhorns.

The international homosexual festival and World Pride parade were condemned by Jewish, Christian and Muslim religious leaders in Jerusalem and around the world as a deliberate insult and provocation to millions of believers, especially since it aimed to flaunt homosexual behavior in the world’s holiest city. All three beliefs traditionally believe homosexual behavior is an “abomination”. A public opinion poll conducted last year showed that three-quarters of Jerusalem residents opposed holding the international homosexual event.

The first World Pride event was hosted in Rome, coinciding with the Catholic Jubilee year of 2000.

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