In Israel, intersectionality of a new kind
Only in Israel can you be gay, a government minister and right wing. This new, good kind of intersectionality is a strong indication that it is not merely “the only democracy in the Middle East,” but one of the most advanced democracies in the world.
Justice Minister Amir Ohana, 43, dedicated his new cabinet post to his partner, “the love of [his] life,” and to their two beautiful children. As the first openly gay minister in the State of Israel, Ohana’s name has already gone down in history.
Upon formally accepting the post, he said: “As a Jew, as an Israeli, as a Mizrachi, as a Likudnik, as a Beersheva native, as a liberal and as a lawyer who has spent thousands of hours in court, it is a great honor to serve Israel in the role of justice minister.”
But he has not been welcomed by everyone. Last Thursday, Ohana, a staunch Netanyahu ally, participated in the Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade, where instead of being met with cheers, he was booed down, with participants shouting “Shame, shame.”
This attitude that the struggle for gay rights is exclusively a left-wing one is shared by the famous — and stupid — “pinkwashing” accusation leveled against Israel by left-leaning gay movements and the Arab world.
Israel’s tolerant laws and open attitude vis-à-vis the LGBT community, which are among the most progressive in the world, are presented by the “pinkwashing” crowd as cynical cover for Israel’s supposed sins against the Palestinians and violation of their human rights. (This of course does not prevent gay Palestinians and other Arabs, and even Iranians, from seeking refuge in Israel from the persecution they face at home.)
Ohana, who was born to a Moroccan family in the southern Israel city of Beersheva, came out of the closet at 15. The courage he displayed then has stood him in good stead since, whether in the defense of Israel or simply as a conservative in a liberal environment.
Netanyahu has arranged an interim government in the run-up to the September 17 elections. Ohana’s appointment will last at least until November, which means Netanyahu can count on a faithful justice minister in a decidedly difficult period for him given his legal troubles. Ohana replaces the brilliant Ayelet Shaked, who earlier this year helped establish the small New Right Party, which failed to make it into the Knesset. While she could have surprises in store, Netanyahu has sent her home for now, leaving cabinet posts open for Likud members.
The way to the September elections is winding and rocky, though polls are already promising Netanyahu yet another victory.
Netanyahu’s absence from the scene comes at a delicate moment, so much so that U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed uncertainty regarding the timetable of his Mideast peace deal, while enemies of Israel, such as Iran and Hezbollah, as well as the Palestinians, are rattling their sabres more loudly than usual, both from the north in Syria and from the south in Gaza.
Nevertheless, it augurs well for the vitality of the Israeli democracy that a gay man born to Moroccan parents in Beersheva, in a country plagued by war, has been able to study what he wanted, marry the partner he wanted, become an important politician — and even opt to be a conservative.
This is freedom!
Fiamma Nirenstein is a fellow at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.
