No Pride [Parade] in the Red-Green Alliance?

Recently, Hamas, the terror organization, has denounced the forthcoming Pride Parade in Jerusalem, calling in its statement for all Palestinians to go to the Parade and confront it in defense of the al-Aqsa Mosque. The terror organization named the Pride Parade a “Jewish Ceremony” and claimed that it undermines the Arab character of Jerusalem and the Muslim identity of the al-Aqsa Mosque. This condemnation of Pride Parades and the LGBTQ+ community in general is nothing new as many radical Arabs and radical Islamists denounce such identities.

Recently, in the Summer of 2022, a radical Islamist was arrested in Oslo, Norway, after shooting in and near a popular LGBTQ+ venue (a bar). Before this, in 2016, Islamic State (IS) extremists killed gay men by throwing them off buildings in Iraq and Syria. Also, in the United States, an IS American-born extremist killed 49 people in a shooting at a nightclub – known as the Orlando Shooting. Of course, such radical Islamists also attack Israel and Jews.

Such tensions between identity groups are interesting and illogical, full of contradictions. Why? Because this undermines the political and ideological alliance between the Islamists and the left and radical left, it undermines the Red-Green alliance. That is, if radical Islamists are anti-Zionist and antisemitic and if radical leftists or even some mainstream leftists in Europe and in the United States opposed the Israeli government and are anti-Zionist and at times even antisemitic, how can they endorse each other? Do they play by the concept of “the enemy of my enemy is my friends”? For instance, in the Dyke March of 2019 in Washington D.C., the organizers banned Israeli and Jewish symbols, sparking criticism over “selective” human rights endorsement and antisemitism.

It is interesting how some pro-LGBTQ+ activists oppose Israel and at times are antisemitic, while shutting their eyes before the real enemy of freedom – terror organizations and radical Islamists. In fact, that illogical Red-Green alliance must decouple. Further, Hamas, by stating that the Pride Parade is a “Jewish Ceremony” has once again used antisemitic conspiracy theories which, in general, name Jews as the minds behind every negative or unacceptable social behavior. The fact that being proud nowadays is acceptable in the progressive world interferes with the radicalism of Hamas.

Lastly, this ideational conflict between the abovementioned parties could be positive for Israel. Leftists around the world that endorse the LGBTQ+ community but oppose Israel and support terror organizations like Hamas might finally understand that Israel is the most humane and tolerant country in the Middle East and that the real enemies of humanity and human rights are Hamas and other radical Islamist groups.