Tel Aviv Pride cancelled out of respect for hostages
With 132 still held captive in Gaza, city mayor Ron Huldai says 'This isn’t the time for celebrations'
The 26th annual Pride march for the LGBTQ community in Tel Aviv has been cancelled out of respect for the hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza.
Every year, tens of thousands of revellers from around the world descend on the city for the parade, one of the most celebrated in the world and the most famous in the Middle East.
Taking to Twitter/X, city mayor Ron Huldai said: “This is not the time for celebrations. 132 of our sons and daughters are still kidnapped in Gaza, the circle of bereavement is expanding every day and we are in one of the most difficult periods of the State of Israel.”
He adds that instead, “in coordination with the organizations of the gay community”, they will hold a rally in Tel Aviv-Yafo “as a sign of pride, hope and freedom. Tel Aviv-Yafo is the home of the gay community, it was and always will be.”
Huldai writes: “We feel the pain of the entire country, and at the same time we do not stop for a moment the fight for equality and freedom – for everyone and everything. See you at the Pride Parade in June 2025.”
The news has received a mixed response, with some applauding the move and others, such as Israeli influencer Hen Mazzig, claiming Hamas has “robbed us of one more thing; a celebration of our ability to be our authentic selves.”
Jerusalem Open House, which organises the capital’s Pride and Toleration March, said its event would go ahead as scheduled on May 30th.
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