BBC World Service Documentary: Tel Aviv Come Out, Tim Samuels Whole thing recorded in Tel Aviv,

structured around a series of interviews. No Orthodox Jewish voices, though Jerusalem constantly referred to and described as less tolerant. Reporter obviously found it hard to find a Palestinian to interview, though finally did so. General approach very much BBC impartiality. Idea seemed to be that Tel Aviv marked a happy, liberal alternative to both homophobic Haredim and homophobic Arabs. But for all this, lot of the LGBT Israelis interviewed said somewhat critical things about Israeli society they didnt really come out with a pinkwashing line about how great Israel was. All names are probably mis-spelled.

Tel Aviv Pride: quick interview with Orthodox Jewish lesbian. I get homophobia all the time. 1 million shekels spent this year promoting Tel Aviv as gay resort. 2007: Israeli Ministry of Tourism launched campaign to promote Tel Aviv as gay destination. Councilman Yanno Weisman: Israel signified war and conflict, Tel Aviv meant freedom. They flew hot guys, lesbians and transgender people around the world to promote the city. Every tourist who came to Tel Aviv spent about $2000... Its doing so much good for Israel, the image of Israel all over the world. Chemistry professor Uzi Evan at Tel Aviv Uni. Homosexuality illegal in 80s when he was in the army, law inherited from British mandate. People in the closet. Thrown out of army in 82. Addressed Knesset, called for equality: please let us serve our country. Yitzak Rabin changed law within three months. It started an avalanche that created the gay-friendly atmosphere you find now... I see how many people are now openly gay in the military... Stood for parliament as openly gay candidate. Happy to have seen change. Masked gunman killed two and wounded 15 at gay youth club in Tel Aviv in 2009, but otherwise gay life is part of the mainstream. Yeel Dayan, daughter of Moshe, campaigned for gay rights as part of human rights and womens rights. Big objections from religious people and the Orthodox, who are still hostile. Moshe Dayan not homophobic, but couldnt quite understand homosexuality. Tel Aviv sets the tone for a lot of... the rest of the country... Its not like Jerusalem... Diana Lerner, writer. Has written journalism about Tel Aviv since 60s and 70s. People came here because easier to be gay than in Jerusalem, it wasnt so religious. Tel Aviv magnet for artists. Symphony orchestras and art galleries. Gay couples pushing prams. Gall Yokovski, recently host of Israeli pop idol: people in Israel die young. So gay, for your parents, is better than dead. Acceptance of gays in Israel deeper than in any Western country. People feel uneasy about Israel-Palestine conflict, whatever their views on it. You really want it to go away, but it doesnt. So youre this occupier, you feel ashamed in conversations... But the gay route is a way for most mainstream Israelis to feel that they are enlightened, to feel that they are progressive, to feel that they are open-minded. We accept the gays. We hate the Arabs! But we accept the gays.

Is this about Israel making itself feel better? Or about projecting a certain image? What youre talking about now is called pinkwashing. Its a thing that the right-wing government understood two or three years ago, that you can work with the gays... But the whole acceptance of gays has nothing to do with the world. Its about accepting ourselves. When they look in the mirror, they feel... this is one issue theyre good about. Not the conflict. Municipally funded LGBT centre. Concern that gay rights are a public relations tool to deflect attention from the Palestinians. Protesters at Tel Aviv Pride. LGBT Palestinians cant come here. We lock them within their territories. Ayel Gross, Associate Professor of Law at Tel Aviv Uni. This struggle that we fought hard to achieve has been co-opted by the government to try and re-brand itself as this great liberal democracy... After... nine people were killed by the Israeli army, Netanyahu said, human rights groups, why do you come to us, why dont you go to places where they violate gay rights, womens rights, like Iran and Gaza. So you see how the gay rights topic is used as a marker to distinguish us from them and to mark us as a liberal democracy. BBC reporter: but Israel is good on gay rights, they arent making it up. Gross: The question is not whether you make it up or not, the question is how do you instrumentalise gay rights for propaganda. BBC reporter: Youre doing this to deflect attention from the conflict, from the Occupied Territories. Councilman Yanno Weisman: I dont care. I can do [things] for the gay community and I can do [things] for the Palestinian community, together. Claims there are a few Palestinians on the beach at Tel Aviv. Also get tourists from Jordan and Saudi Arabia. They come to celebrate their freedom... The gays in Palestine really suffer... from violence... If they are caught coming here to celebrate, its really dangerous [for them]... My dream is that the day will come when we just celebrate love and freedom... Hard to find a gay Palestinian who will talk to them. So they talk to an Shaul Garon, Israeli gay community worker who works with Palestinians. 1200 Palestinian in last 15 years sought help, about 65 agreed to accept help. This means exposing themselves to their families and neighbours. Gay Palestinians are hunted like a fox, by people with dogs on one side, and by people with horses and guns on the other side. Over there [in Palestine] he is suspected of being a collaborator, of having offended the honour of Islam and his family. Over here [in Israel] he is considered to be a security threat, and the Israeli police and security forces are hunting him as well. Nobody really wants to help him. Shaul says cost of wedding dowry goes up for Palestinians if someone in family suspected of being gay. Some change, particularly in Ramallah, which less religious. Some courageous organisations. What about Muslim Israeli citizens, or Palestinian Christians? Shaul says families encourage gay people to leave villages and go to cities. Shaul will try to introduce them to a gay Palestinian, who has had a hard life and tried to kill himself many times.

2009: attack at gay youth centre: 2 killed and 15 wounded. Shaul was present, recalls bloody scenes. Arrests made four years later. Shaul arrested, day after BBC interview, for withholding information. BBC reporter: Its a heck of a thing. Charges dropped after Shaul agreed to testify. No civil marriages at all in Israel, but state recognises couples who have married abroad. Gal Yokovskys partner a film director. List of gay firsts in Israeli movies, soap operas etc. Dana International won Eurovision in 1998, made a difference. Dana International: I started my career in 93, I had no problems here [in Tel Aviv]. Of course, if you go to Jerusalem, to an Orthodox neighbourhood, youre going to get a bottle in your face. Thats the problem in Israel. I would love to go to the Arab world. I love Arab boys. I would love to go to all of Israels neighbours. We would have peace. Handful of gay Orthodox Jews involved in Pride. I came out when I was 26. My family reacted very badly, the things they said were very harsh... After a few years, its still very complicated and hard. In Jerusalem, I know that there are [Orthodox Jewish] people who are in the closet and who suffer alone... Finally found gay Palestinian from West Bank. Have changed his voice. In the Arab world it is a shame thing... Might any harm come to your family? I have heard stories about people running away or going abroad, but have never heard of anyone injured or killed. When did you come out? It was obvious. My family take it in a good way. But they were afraid that if it was to become known in the community, because my life might not be easy. What would happen if people knew you were gay? There are some that would not talk to me anymore. Most Palestinians cant come into Israel. It is rare... I have a permit. How have other gay Palestinians you know got on? Most of them are not out to their families. Some travel abroad to study... How to you feel in Tel Aviv? I feel a bit free, but not that much, because as a Palestinian, originally from here, I feel some sadness... this used to be my country. I wasnt supposed to get a permit to get in. Qada has Palestinian parents, raised in Jaffa. Is openly gay, and has a Jewish boyfriend. Families have met, everyone gets on. His mother more upset about him being vegetarian than gay. Boyfriend did army service. Its tough... The army uniform was really sexy... But its problematic for me... Lets take inspiration from this couple... Qada: There is a new generation. We drink the same coffee and arak as everyone else. Media always concentrates on stories of Arab homophobia. Orthodox gay Jew, from 37 generations of rabbis, recalls cruising in a Tel Aviv Park, now leads prayers there. He has been on a journey, so has Israel. Orthodox rabbis in Jerusalem wouldnt like this. Judaism says everyone made in the image of God, so we are all equal.