Olmert Supports Jerusalem Gay Pride

Well not really.

It is Ehud's daughter, Dana, who has come out in support of the upcoming, and always controversial, Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade.

According to the JTA:

"Ehud Olmert's daughter came out in defense of the upcoming Jerusalem gay pride parade.

Dana Olmert, who is lesbian, gave a rare media interview to rebut right-wing and religious demands that Thursday's gay pride parade in Israel's capital be relocated.

"The question 'why Jerusalem?' is like asking why people should get the right to vote," Olmert told Army Radio on Wednesday. "Such questions are simply abhorrent. It's just like I would never think of explaining to someone why Jews or Arabs aren't inferior to other people."

Olmert, who works as a Tel Aviv literary editor and usually avoids the public eye, described the march as "an expression of political action, something which you don't ask permission to do".

Rioting by religious protesters led to last year's gay pride parade being relocated to a closed stadium on the Jerusalem outskirts, but Thursday's event will comprise a march and rally in the city center, under tight police security."

Just like in the rest of the West, Israeli attitudes to gays has become the touchstone issue that defines where an individual or a society stands on the spectrum of social liberalism vs social conservativism.

Meanwhile, the parade itself is happening as I write these words. According to the Jerusalem Post, there are about 2000 participants, 500 counter-demonstrators (though 1500 demonstrated against the parade at a separate venue) and 8000 police. Several preventive arrests where made against people planning violence (including at least one planned bombing !!) to the parade.