Israel's gays and lesbians enjoy wide freedoms. Gay soldiers serve openly in the military. Tel Aviv holds an annual gay parade, gay musicians and actors are among the country's most popular, and there is a city-funded open house for gays.
However, there have been clashes between the ultra-Orthodox and gay activists. In 2005, an ultra-Orthodox protester stabbed three marchers at a Jerusalem gay parade. In 2008, the ultra-Orthodox Shas party blamed a recent earthquake on homosexual activity.
Soon after the attacks, the SAUPJ released the following statement:
The South African Union of Progressive Judaism (SAUPJ) joins the World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ) - which represents over 1.8 million Jews worldwide - in strongly condemning the attack on the gay and lesbian community in Tel Aviv.
Israel has been at the forefront of those countries of the world which support equality and tolerance for gay and lesbian people. The city of Tel Aviv, the first Jewish city of modern times, prides itself on being a bastion of pluralism and openness. The SAUPJ and the WUPJ pursue a policy of total equality in terms of gender and sexual orientation.
We fully support Prime Minister Netanyahu's pledge to bring the perpetrator to justice and prosecute him to the full extent of the law. We endorse the sentiments of Nobel Peace Laureate President Shimon Peres, who has stated 'this is a dreadful murder which a cultured and enlightened people cannot accept'. We back the calls made on all political and religious leaders to express their revulsion towards this attack carried out against innocent young people. We offer our sincere condolences to those who have lost a loved one and we share in their sorrow.
Steve Lurie (SAUPJ National Chairman)