Homosexuality and the law

Friday, October 11, 2002 | by

They’ve come a long way. For the first 40 years of Israel’s existence, homosexual sex was a crime, punishable by up to eight yea

The city's haredi community threatened to break up the rally, but it never came to pass. Likewise, the haredi threat to disrupt the 1999 Eurovision Song Contest at Binyanei Ha'uma—because it was being hosted by the 1998 winner, Israeli transsexual singer Dana International, never materialized.

Against this background, the advent of an open homosexual in the Knesset seems like just one more step along a well-traveled road. Beyond the initial glares and groans from haredim and possibly other hard-line social conservatives, Even's presence in the Knesset probably will be accepted smoothly, if begrudgingly, enough.

—Jerusalem Post Service