Israeli Invaders Fly "LGBTQ+" Pride Flag in Gaza

Chris Menahan
InformationLiberation
Nov. 13, 2023

Israeli invaders unfurled the "LGBTQ+ Pride Flag" in Gaza to announce the "liberation" of the regions they bombed to the ground and are now occupying.

LIBERATION🏳️‍🌈THE FIRST EVER PRIDE FLAG RAISED IN GAZA!

Under Hamas, being gay means death. Israeli Yoav Atzmoni wanted to send a message of hope. See his story below.

To Gaza’s hidden LGBTQ+ community: STAY HOPEFUL of a future where you can live and love free of Hamas! pic.twitter.com/9NOGfqhNVQ
— leekern (@leekern13) November 12, 2023

YOAV SPEAKS:

Before entering Gaza, I asked my partner to bring me two pride flags:

The first is an Israeli flag in pride colours that I pose with on a tank

It sends two messages

There is an internal message to Israel: that we carry obligations towards the state and must…
— leekern (@leekern13) November 12, 2023

They did the meme!!! pic.twitter.com/WkQDFWgGJw
— Bryan Green (@BryanGreenbaum) November 12, 2023

The flag was unfurled by 31-year-old gay Israeli soldier Yoav Atzmoni and shared on social media by "Borat 2" screenwriter Lee Kern.

Kern shared Atzmoni's statement on X:

YOAV SPEAKS:

Before entering Gaza, I asked my partner to bring me two pride flags:

The first is an Israeli flag in pride colours that I pose with on a tank

It sends two messages

There is an internal message to Israel: that we carry obligations towards the state and must demand gay rights here - not necessarily to marry and start a family, but something more basic - the right to security as LGBTQ people, the right to respect, the right to be part of the national ethos, the right to be counted and recognized

The external message to the world is that despite the pain of war - the IDF is the ONLY army in the Middle East that defends democratic values. It is the ONLY army that allows gay people the freedom to be who we are. And so I fully believe in the righteousness of our cause.

The second flag is a simple pride flag that represents global solidarity.

When I entered Gaza, I knew I would write a message in three languages, but I hadn't yet decided what to say. (I should mention that I speak both spoken and literary Arabic).

In the early days of the conflict I saw the Arabic inscription 'Bismillah' ('In the Name of God') on many houses

I decided to correspond with this by writing "Bismilahav" - which means "In the Name of Love"

Additionally, 'In the Name of Love' is a song by the band U2 that I really like!

My intention was to plant the first pride flag in Gaza as a call for peace and as a message of freedom

"Pride" flags have become symbols of occupation to millions throughout the world.

The US similarly hoisted a "Pride" flag in Afghanistan during their occupation.

They also put up murals to George Floyd -- all of which were taken down after Taliban took back their country.

UPDATE: The official Twitter account of Israel tweeted out the same message:

The first ever pride flag raised in Gaza 🏳️‍🌈

Yoav Atzmoni who is a member of the LGBTQ+ community wanted to send a message of hope to the people of Gaza living under Hamas brutality.

His intention was to raise the first pride flag in Gaza as a call for peace and freedom.

📸… pic.twitter.com/0l0QAO35Jv
— Israel ישראל 🇮🇱 (@Israel) November 13, 2023

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