Last November, Israel’s official social media accounts shared a photo of a smiling Israeli soldier proudly holding a rainbow flag amid the rubble in Gaza, where over 10,000 Palestinians – mostly women and children – had been killed in the weeks following October 7.
Written upon the multi-coloured flag – an iconic, decades-old symbol of LGBTQ+ pride – in English, Arabic and Hebrew, were the words “In The Name Of Love.”
The image quickly went viral. The soldier, a 31-year-old gay man, explained to the media that the Israeli military was “the only army in the Middle East that protects democratic values… it is the only army that allows LGBT people the freedom to be who they are, and therefore I fully believe in our goal.”
Meanwhile, on Instagram, Israel’s account described the image as an “attempt to raise the first pride flag in Gaza as a call for peace and freedom.”
But for many LGBTQ+ activists, and those struggling for Palestinian liberation, the incident represented an almost perfect example of “pinkwashing” – a term that refers to a state or organization’s attempts to use LGBTQ+ rights and symbols to distract or deflect attention from its harmful practices.
Like Andrei S. Markovits once said, some criticisim of Israel is really “damned if you do, and damned if you don’t”. When Israel would discriminate against LGBTQ like other countries in the middle east, it would be used against them. But if it does not, it is still used against Israel. What do you want Israel to do? Discriminate against LGBTQ or not? You’re just against Israel per se, let’s be honest. I think this is really unfair criticism.
I don’t know who that guy is but blackmailing LBTQ Palestinians into spying on their friends and family is really not a great achievement next to genociding them along with every other Palestinian.
But if we’re doing quotes I’d like to quote the queer Jews who got kicked out of the White House pride party recently:
Imagine for a moment that you’re one of the many wonderful colours in the LGBT rainbow. You’re also a soldier and you’re fighting people who hate you for both your religion and your sexuality. You’re in a place where traditionally folks with your sexuality/gender identity would be systematically executed. Would you not also wear a rainbow pin and take a photo or two to commemorate that moment? To me it feels significant enough
Yeah I’d be raising the rainbow flag over the bunch of kids I just executed for creating some new Zionist Lebensraum. Maybe let’s do a pride parade on the Netzarim corridor.
This whole post is exactly about what you’re trying to do with your pink washing and genocide denial.
Like I implied, obviously not everything is well in Israel. But generally, the term “pink washing” is not useful. Also the war in gaza is not a genocide, but that’s a different topic, I guess.
Edit: Andrei S. Markovits https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrei_Markovits
Edit 2: This is no appeal to authority, the argument is good.
If we’re at genocide denial I don’t know what else to talk about.
Edit: I can look the guy up, my point is just because someone said something it doesn’t mean it’s necessarily relevant let alone true.
Words are cheap nowadays. Read the Israeli answer to the South African claim in The Hague. The intent, which is important in the definition of genocide, is completly lacking. There are some war crimes, but not genocide, at least not at the moment.
Just one more thing: The IDF warns civilians before bombing. Which other army in the world does that? (To be fair: according to the BBC there are some mistakes in the information.)
Of course Israel denies that it intends to commit genocide. If you’re looking for genocidal intent, just look at the words of Smotrich, Ben Gvir, and Netanyahu. Or the words of thousands of rabid Israelis on Jerusalem Day as they publically call for ethnic cleansing.
The IDF stopped the knocking-before-bombing system very early on in this conflict. And when you’re bombing refugee tent cities, no warning is possible.
Your genocide denial is disgusting.
If Israel intended to commit genocide it would be undeniable because there wouldn’t be any Palestinians left. Let’s be real here, we’re talking about a small area that Israel has more than enough firepower to completely wipe out. If genocide was truly the goal why draw this out so long? They control the Palestinians water supply ffs, have for decades. Nothing stopping em from pumping it full of contraceptives and poisons. Why haven’t they ever?
The fact is that hamas willingly makes “martyrs” out of their people. More “martyrs” more sympathy, more money, more hate on their enemy. They make no attempt to help their people and even encourage them to die. Search YouTube for “Palestinian children’s shows” for hamas produced lessons. Six year olds talking about the glory of martyrdom, it’s fucked up. Is there any wonder so many people (most of which children) find their way in front of Israeli rockets?
You call everyone who does not fully support your view a “genocide denier” and “disgusting”? Comon… Is this your argument?
Yes, after the horrific attack on Israeli civilians, many politicians were emotional and understandably so, I might add. But yes, there are obviously some right wingers in the Israeli government who might commit a genocide or at least ethnic cleansing. I don’t deny that. But the most important part of the government does not have the intention for genocide.
The IDF warns civilians in gaza before attacks, has field hospitals, hospital ships and even let’s in humanitarian aid to gaza, even when a big majority in the population of Israel is against such aid. How does this fit with it this narrative of genocide.
Like I said: Words matter here. There are war crimes in this war, which is bad enough, but genocide is the worst crime in international law, and the word gets thrown around like it’s nothing. This trivializes the whole debate…
This claim, which is older than the war in gaza is a way to demonize Israel.
Israel is demonizing themselves without anyone else’s help. Don’t blame others for what Bebe and the ultra nationalists are doing rn.
Wtf? The IDF regularly bombs places they told people to flee to???
What we don’t want Israel to do is use LGBTQ people as propaganda, especially against Palestinians. It’s unproductive, and it disgusts me everytime someone uses “Hamas would throw you off a roof” as a cheap gotcha.
To stop the genocide they’re committing. I thought this was pretty clear from all the protests?
I think it’s generally agreed that slaughtering children and raping and torturing people is wrong. Perhaps you were raised differently?