Israel pro LBGTQ descrimination proposed law

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Despite Benjamin Netanyahu’s clarifications earlier this week that LGBT or other minority groups’ rights will be maintained in the government, the final agreements between the Likud and both RZP and UTJ’s say otherwise.

They included the amendment that would enable private businesses to refuse to provide a product or service due to religious belief if the same product or service could be obtained in near proximity at a similar price.

The amendment includes enabling a doctor to refuse to supply care if it violates his or her religious belief, and a hotel owner refusing to give a room to a gay couple, according to comments made on Sunday by Religious Zionist Party MKs Simcha Rothman and Orit Struck.

What is the Israeli coalition deal's discrimination law amendment for?
The law’s nickname is the “Motti Steinmetz Law,” named after a haredi (ultra-Orthodox) musician whose gender-segregated concert in Afula was deemed illegal discrimination by the High Court in August 2019.

RZP’s spokesman said last week the purpose of the law is to allow for such concerts, and is not intended to whitewash discrimination. The spokesman gave other scenarios where it could apply, such as an Orthodox barber refusing to shave a client with a razor, which is prohibited by Jewish law.

Rothman and Struck’s comments led to an uproar, with dozens of politicians, civil organizations and tech companies stating they opposed such legislation and reaffirming their commitment to provide equal service. Even President Isaac Herzog weighed in, and in a rare statement condemned “any statement that serves as a basis for exclusion or any phenomenon that enables discrimination.”

Netanyahu as a result, first in a statement and then in a video, said the comments were unacceptable and that “the coalition agreements do not enable discrimination against LGBT people or harm their rights to receive services like every citizen in Israel.”

It remains to be seen whether this law will indeed pass into legislation, or remain on paper, as most clauses in coalition agreements do. If it does pass, it is not clear whether or not this discrimination will indeed be considered legal.

Over a thousand demonstrators marching against anti-LGBTQ lawmakers blocked a major intersection in Tel Aviv hours after Benjamin Netanyahu's government was sworn in on Thursday.

The demonstration, titled “Red Line for Hate,” was organized by LGBTQ organizations, with Aguda – Israel’s LGBTQ Task Force leading the charge. Demonstrators were heard chanting “We are here and everywhere” and “Homophobia starts in the government offices.” The demonstrators also blocked an intersection to Tel Aviv’s Ayalon highway

One protester named Nadav Bornstein spoke at the demonstration, saying “on Thursday I found out that my name was on the black list,” referring to a list compiled by the homophobic Noam Party of LGBTQ individuals who work in Israeli media to demonstrate how the gay community impacts public discourse.

“This is not an esoteric organization or a fringe party. The people who drew up these lists are responsible for the education of all of our children,” Bornstein said.

Earlier on Thursday, Noam head Avi Maoz addressed the Knesset during the swearing-in ceremony, stating he has nothing against LGBTQ people and leftists, but rather that he "opposes LGBTism as an idea and the left as an ideology.

Hila Peer, Chairwoman of Aguda said “This morning, the sun rose and not long after a great darkness fell over the State of Israel. This is a new moral low for our country.” Peer touched on the fact that the new government sworn to protect her and the rest of the LGBTQ community are the same people from Noam who compiled those black lists.

Israel’s largest medical center and health care workers from hospitals around the country have spoken out against remarks by allies of Benjamin Netanyahu calling for a law to allow discrimination against LGBTQ people in hospitals and businesses.

It was part of a broader blowback against remarks made this week by Religious Zionism politicians calling for legal discrimination against LGBTQ people.

Netanyahu’s new government — the most religious and hard-line in Israel’s history — is made up of ultra-Orthodox parties, an ultranationalist religious faction and his Likud party. It is to be sworn in on Thursday.

Sheba Medical Center released a video on Instagram of health care workers from around the country on Monday saying “we treat everyone.” Similar statements were made by doctors and administrators at Rambam Medical Center in Haifa and Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon.

The uproar could be a sign of what lies ahead for Netanyahu and his new government. His partners are seeking widespread changes that could alienate large swaths of the Israeli public, raise the risk of conflict with the Palestinians and put Israel on a collision course with some of its closest supporters, including the United States and the American Jewish community.

Netanyahu has sought to portray himself as the responsible adult in the coalition and already issued a series of statements guaranteeing to protect the rights of LGBTQ people. But his partners hold great leverage because they support new legislation that could ultimately freeze or dismiss criminal charges against Netanyahu.

The long-time leader, who served 12 consecutive years before he was ousted last year, already has agreed to put a hard-line politician known for his anti-Arab views in charge of the national police force and put another hard-line settler leader in charge of West Bank settlement policies.

A third religious lawmaker who opposes LGBTQ rights has been given widespread authority over the national education system, and Netanyahu reportedly also has agreed to increase unpopular subsidies to ultra-Orthodox men who do not work or serve in the army.

Yated Neeman, a newspaper affiliated with one of the ultra-Orthodox parties in Netanyahu’s coalition, published an editorial against the Religious Zionism politicians, saying they were “defaming Judaism worldwide” and branding the future government as “one that persecutes Arabs, minorities and discriminates against people on the basis of religion and more.”

Several Israeli companies said they would not work with businesses that discriminate against clients for religious reasons.

Bank Discount, Israel’s third largest bank, said Monday that its board decided that it “would not grant credit to businesses or bodies that discriminate against clients on the basis of religion, race, sex or sexual orientation.”