He fought in the Lebanon War in Beirut in a unit that took heavy casualties. He raised his children here. Aside from a coule years spent in the US pursuing his Ph.D. and now as ambassador, he has lived here ever since making aliyah. And, yes, he gave up his American citizenship to serve as ambassador.

If that doesn’t make him “Israeli” enough, then what would??

You may not like what he writes or says, or the “hasbara” he does on behalf of the government–fair enough. But criticizing him for being an immigrant?? In a country of immigrants, are you freakin’ kidding me?? The tolerant left, indeed.

Whatever you think of Oren’s politics and stances, he made aliyah 33 years ago and served in the IDF as a paratrooper (including in the Lebanon War, where most of his unit was wounded). I think he is qualified as knowing the country quite well. Certainly more so than some of the columnists who have been in Israel less than ten years, but because their views jive with 972′s you don’t seem to have a problem with them advertising themselves as “Israeli journalists” (as if they are not “immigrants”).

1. Israel has no (or next to no) legislation granting equality to LGBT folk. Even the abolishing in 1988 of the clause prohibiting homosexual sex was done by trickery (an aide from the opposition “accidentally on purpose” dropped the relevant clause from the bill before the 3rd reading of the law, and it passed without it, an act that could not realistically be undone.

2. Thus, the vast majority of LGBT rights have been granted by the courts, not the state. As a matter of fact, in many seminal court cases the state was the oppositional party to the suit.

3. The whole rhetoric represented by the Oren interview and keynote speech at the Philadelphia convention is part of a purposefully conceived plan called PINKWASHING. The gov’t doesn’t call it that, but what it includes is certainly purposeful (one of the architects of the policy, David Saranga, actually presented this policy as a case study in an Internet marketing course I attended, and bragged about it).

Pinkwashing is the policy of highlighting Israel’s relatively positive record on LGBT rights to deflect attention from more problematic issues — like the occupation.

When Oren conflates terrorism or Arab-Israeli wars with gay rights, he is unintentionally (or intentionally? Hard to keep track) forgetting to keep this strategy secret.

4. Given the above (and below), it is rather ridiculous for this particular government to be brandishing about gay rights, which they have basically done nothing to promote or ensure. But the 1967/1988 untruth is hardly his most egregious. He claimed in his interview that Palestinian LGBT folk are so persecuted in their own community, that Israel must give them shelter.

This is such a blatant lie I actually lose my breath writing about it. Israel has NEVER granted a Palestinian LGBT person shelter. EVER. (Just like they have NEVER granted refugee status to African refugees, but that doesn’t prevent them for taking humanitarian credit…). Oren also claims that the proof of this claim is that Palestinian queer groups like alQaws operate OUT OF ISRAEL. Though of course, if you ask alQaws they are operating out of Palestine (in east Jerusalem).

5. I wouldn’t put aside so easily the claims of “Israel fought for gay rights…” as the less important aspect of Oren’s statements. This type of statement emphasizes all that is wrong and twisted in what our representatives’ thinking: Israel is THE STATE. The sovereign. If Israel wanted gays to have rights THEY WOULD GRANT THOSE RIGHTS. Who exactly does a sovereign state need to “fight” for gay rights? The Arabs? In 1967? And what’s the connection to blowing up cafes and buses? Is that also before 1967? Or has he now moved to the post-Oslo spate of attacks of 10-12 years ago (which sounds more like it)? So did Israel always have gay rights? Or were they fighting for those rights?

There is no consistency or logic in any of this — just an attempt to paint Israel as constantly under attack, as the brave fighter for justice, and as the liberal protector of rights, all at the same time. And facts be damned.

6. Finally, Oren was on his way to give a keynote speech at an *LGBTQ* conference. His constant reference to “gay rights” shows how shallow and limited his understanding is of the very issue he supposedly champions, because seriously, no one who understands ANYTHING about queer or LGBT issues says “gay rights”. “Gay rights” are hardly the issue.

(Yossi, I’m sending you a meme and post I made on this topic that has gone rather viral on twitter and FB, don’t know what your links policy here is…)

Yes, perhaps in the past it was difficult – where wasn’t it? – but, for the sake of decent journalism -, the positives and advances of the LGBT movement, both politically and socially, really should be included in this article.

Where is the mention of recognition of same-sex marriages performed abroad? Or same-sex adoption rights? Or the increased visibility and acceptance of non-heterosexuality in the major cities (perhaps excluding Jerusalem) during the 51 weeks of the year when Gay Pride doesn’t take over?