After boycotting event, Ohana rips Luxembourg’s PM for hypocrisy toward Iran’s execution of homosexuals

Justice Minister Amir Ohana slammed the gay prime minister of Luxembourg on Tuesday for hypocrisy, citing his boycott of an Israeli event over an anti-homosexual comment made by Education Minister Rafi Peretz, but welcoming Iran’s foreign minister who defended the execution of gay Iranians.

Ohana, the first openly gay member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet, wrote on Twitter: “Honorable Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel: Yesterday, you boycotted an Israeli event due to an inappropriate comment made by an Israeli minister regarding conversion therapy. That comment was denounced and strongly condemned by many, including PM Netanyahu.

“With your permission, I have a question: when you shook hands with Zarif – were you aware of how conversion therapy looks like in the Islamic Republic of Iran? Sincerely, Amir Ohana, Israel’s Minister of Justice (and openly gay, btw).”

The justice minister tweeted a screenshot of a story in The Jerusalem Post in June on Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif’s defense of Iran’s ongoing execution of gays.

Said Zarif: “Our society has moral principles, and according to these principles we live. These are moral principles regarding the behavior of people in general. And that’s because the law is upheld and you abide by laws.”

US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell tweeted in response to Ohana’s criticism: “totally agree with my friend Amir Ohana... we all benefit from his courage.”

Grenell, who is also openly gay, told the Post at the time: “The UN’s Declaration of Human Rights makes clear that these answers from the Iranian regime are violating basic UN principles. UN members should agree with the Declaration in order to be members. Criminalizing homosexuality violates the Declaration, plain and simple.”

The Post reported in January on the clerical regime’s execution of a man based on an anti-gay charge. According to a 2008 British Wikileaks cable, Iran’s regime has executed between 4,000 and 6,000 gays and lesbians since the country’s 1979 Islamic revolution.

According to Channel 12 on Monday, Bettel had explained to Israeli Ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg Simona Frankel that he couldn’t take part in a dinner for a representative from Israel, where one of its senior ministers made such comments about the LGBT community.

According to the report, Bettel’s seat at the head table was empty, and the dinner – with representatives from the Jewish community and government officials – was awkward as a result.

Herb Keinon contributed to this report.

AMIR OHANA’S tweet, slamming Luxembourg’s openly gay prime minister.