Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Israeli backs gay conversion therapy

- SHAHAR GOLAN

JERUSALEM — Israel’s new education minister’s remarks in favor of “conversion therapy,” a controvers­ial technique that seeks to turn gays into heterosexu­als, led hundreds to protest Sunday.

Rafi Peretz, who leads a small religious nationalis­t party, said in a televised interview over the weekend that he supports conversion therapy and has performed it.

The statement was attacked across the political system, including by the prime minister and other members of the government.

It was Peretz’s second major controvers­y in just a month on the job. Last week, he elicited uproar, particular­ly from overseas Jews, when he compared intermarri­age between Jews and non-Jews to a second “Holocaust.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote Sunday on Twitter that Peretz’s remarks on conversion therapy were unacceptab­le and “do not represent my government’s position.”

Another member of Netanyahu’s party, Justice Minister Amir Ohana, who is openly gay, said “sexual orientatio­n does not require therapy nor conversion. Preconceiv­ed notions and ignorance require therapy and conversion.”

Health officials have said that conversion therapy is scientific­ally dubious and possibly even dangerous.

Etai Pinkas-Arad, a Tel Aviv city councilman in charge of gay and transgende­r affairs, said that conversion therapy can “in some cases cause death by suicidal attempts” and called on Peretz to be fired.

Peretz, a former chief rabbi in the Israeli military, “shouldn’t be holding this position any longer, or relevant position in the future,” he said.

Hundreds protested in Tel-Aviv on Sunday, calling on Peretz to resign.

In recent years, Israel has turned into one of the most gay-friendly travel destinatio­ns in the world, with the Tel Aviv pride parade attracting crowds of more than 200,000 people.

In Israel, homosexual­s serve openly in the military and in parliament, and many popular artists and entertaine­rs are openly gay.

Israel’s reputation as a haven for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgende­r community has also caused critics to accuse the country of “pink washing,” or using its tolerance for liberal gay culture to conceal its violations of Palestinia­n rights.

While Netanyahu likes to boast about Israel’s broad acceptance of gays, he has been attacked by LGBT activists for homophobic comments by members of his coalition, which is dominated by religious and conservati­ve politician­s.

Last year he was also criticized for voting against surrogacy for gay fathers, though Netanyahu’s supporters argue that he was under pressure from his ultra-Orthodox coalition partners.

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