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The antisemitic undertones of ‘pinkwashing’

Credit: iStock dblight
Pink washing (Credit iStock dblight)

The term “pinkwashing” refers to the practice of companies, governments, or organizations using LGBT rights and issues as a tool to appear progressive, often while ignoring or downplaying their own problematic behaviors. In recent years, critics of Israel have applied this term to claim that Israel promotes LGBT rights as a calculated strategy to distract from its policies toward Palestinians. A closer examination of these accusations reveals disturbing antisemitic undertones, particularly when viewed through the framework of the “3Ds” of Antisemitism – delegitimization, demonization, and double standards.

The first “D,” delegitimization, occurs when pinkwashing accusations aim to undermine Israel’s identity and existence by framing its genuine progress on LGBT rights as mere propaganda to “pinkwash” alleged Palestinian oppression. For example, Palestinian-Israeli LGBTQ+ activist Rauda Morcos, criticized Tel Aviv’s Pride parade plans amidst the ongoing Gaza conflict. She asserted that Israel cannot champion queer rights while denying Gazans equality, stating, “There is no pride in occupation.” Similarly, queer activists cry “there’s no pride in genocide” at rallies using an LGBT platform to support the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, accusing Israel of using images of its gay-friendly society to sanitize violence and discrimination.

These accusations oversimplify a complex reality. Tel Aviv’s Pride Parade which began in the late 1990s is now one of the largest in the world and was driven by grassroots movements within Israeli society – not government initiatives. It was an authentic effort by citizens and their commitment to LGBTQ+ rights and equality. In addition, the Tel Aviv Pride parade of June 2024 was cancelled and replaced with a rally for “Pride, Hope and Liberty” as 132 hostages remained captive in Gaza by terrorists and organisers did not think it was the time to celebrate. Is this also pinkwashing?

The pinkwashing argument seeking to delegitimize Israel as an independent state actor as well as the civilians within it ignores the fact that Israel provides LGBTQ+ Palestinians with freedoms and protections they lack under Palestinian governance. In a recent ruling in February 2024 by Israel’s Tel Aviv District Court, it was determined that LGBT Palestinians can apply for asylum in Israel during the ongoing conflict. This decision is monumental at a time when the terrorist threat is extremely high and vetting processes are heavily scrutinized. Yet these cases often go unmentioned in discussions that focus on Israel’s alleged use of LGBT rights as a global PR ploy.

“In a recent ruling in February 2024 by Israel’s Tel Aviv District Court, it was determined that LGBT Palestinians can apply for asylum in Israel during the ongoing conflict.”

The second “D” of antisemitism, demonization, is used when critics use the term pinkwashing to label Israelis themselves as ingenuine, dishonest, or cunning, echoing age-old antisemitic stereotypes. For example, when an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldier raised a Pride flag in Gaza with a message of solidarity for LGBT individuals with a caption stating it was the “first ever” displaying it as a call for love and hope to the LGBTQ+ community, Palestinian activists criticised the use of the flag as it ignored the greater suffering of Palestinian civilians in war torn Gaza. The post was labelled again as “pinkwashing genocide” and the soldier received much online hate. Whilst a war zone may not be the best time and place for Pride, the fact remains that since 1993 the Israeli military has allowed openly gay individuals to serve making it one of the first in the region to do so – if not the only. If a serving IDF soldier wants to express themselves with the use of a Pride flag, they should have agency to do so and the safety to do so. That’s not exploitation, it’s reality.

By insinuating that this soldier is attempting to mask wrongdoing with a socially progressive image ignores that he is gay, is speaking up for all LGBTQ+ people in the Middle East and wants equal rights for all – including in Israel. Even if the messaging doesn’t appeal to everyone, to accuse this soldier (and Israel at large) of not possessing genuine enthusiasm for LGBT rights borders on demonization, reducing a moment of personal expression to a manipulative act of state propaganda. This demonizing perspective ignores the truth that LGBTQ+ advocacy in Israel predates accusations of pinkwashing and is driven by a significant portion of Israeli society.

“This demonizing perspective ignores the truth that LGBTQ+ advocacy in Israel predates accusations of pinkwashing and is driven by a significant portion of Israeli society.”

Finally, the third “D,” double standards, is perhaps the most evident in the antisemitic pinkwashing critique. While Israel is scrutinized for its promotion of LGBT rights, there is little to no comparable criticism directed at neighboring countries, despite their restrictive or even hostile stances toward these individuals. For example, before the current Gaza war, Israel granted LGBT Palestinians temporary asylum and work visas with around 90 LGBT Palestinians living in Israel on short-term permits. Whilst at the same time, both the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Hamas cracked down on LGBT activism with the PA banning Al-Qaws, a Palestinian queer rights group, accusing it of actions that violated “the higher principles and values of Palestinian society.” Where was the outcry?

To underscore this point further, homosexuality is criminalized in Gaza with punishments including imprisonment but in nearly every city in Israel there are LGBT bars and organisations – including Jerusalem the most religious of cities. To dismiss Israel’s efforts as purely cynical and as a pinkwashing ploy undermines the strides it has made, particularly in a region where LGBT rights are severely restricted. Saudi Arabia, Iran and Afghanistan criminalize homosexuality with penalties ranging from imprisonment, corporal punishment and the death penalty.

“To dismiss Israel’s efforts as purely cynical and as a pinkwashing ploy undermines the strides it has made, particularly in a region where LGBT rights are severely restricted.”

Data from the Pew Research Center reveals the stark differences in the acceptance of LGBTQ+ rights across different regions. In Israel, 47% of the population supports the acceptance of homosexuality, a more recent poll shows this is increasing at 61%, a figure similar to South Korea, South Africa, Greece, Hungary and Poland, yet notably higher than Turkey (25%), Lebanon (13%), Tunisia (9%), Kenya (14%) and Russia (14%). Pew was unable to track data from other Middle Eastern countries – Israel being one of the few with transparent data.

Furthermore, a report by Human Rights Watch, drawing on hundreds of testimonies from Iranians, reveals that violence and discrimination against LGBT individuals in Iran is widespread and frequently receives government backing. Where are the queer BDS movements? Where are the grandstanding Pride activists? By holding Israel to a unique double standard that unfairly singles out Israel for promoting rights that are denied elsewhere in the region, it reinforces a pattern of isolating Israel in a way that echoes historical patterns of antisemitic discrimination.

The 3Ds framework – delegitimization, demonization, and double standards – reveals how accusations of pinkwashing against Israel stem from deep-seated antisemitism. But overall, antisemitism often doesn’t fit neatly into this paradigm because it is completely irrational and hateful. This brings me to the recent decision by the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA), to remove the bid for Tel Aviv to host the ILGA World Conference and suspend The Aguda – The Association of LGBTQ Equality in Israel – from its membership. In a statement, ILGA World apologized to its member organizations, particularly those in South Africa, citing their historical experiences with apartheid and colonialism. The organization explained that approving the Tel Aviv bid would have conflicted with its “unequivocal solidarity for the Palestinian people.”

For background, the ILGA has a presence in more than 150 countries with member organizations in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, who are responsible for severe human rights abuses – yet the ILGA are silent. In contrast, the Aguda is the umbrella organization for Israel’s LGBTQ+ community and is by far the largest in the Middle East supporting, sheltering, and promoting queer rights. ILGA’s decision to suspend Aguda and remove its bid to host the world conference in Tel Aviv sounds antisemitic alarm bells. ILGA’s decision applies not just a double standard, but places a collective punishment on queer individuals in Israel – Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Druze, Bahai, and more. The decision demonizes Aguda as not having LGBT interests and equality at heart, does nothing to end the conflict in Gaza, nor safeguard LGBTQ+ rights. Instead, it justifies the actions of terrorists like Hamas who persecute LGBT Palestinians. Further, ILGA states nothing about the Israeli hostages being held for over a year in Gaza by terrorists and ignores October 7 atrocities, thus dehumanizing the innocent civilians who were murdered. ILGA is holding Israel and its queer community not just to a higher standard, but is completely ignoring the only country to have the highest of gay standards in the Middle East.

“The (ILGA) decision demonizes Aguda as not having LGBT interests and equality at heart, does nothing to end the conflict in Gaza, nor safeguard LGBTQ+ rights. Instead, it justifies the actions of terrorists like Hamas who persecute LGBT Palestinians.”

The 3Ds doesn’t quite explain the full extent of ILGA’s antisemitism of collective punishment, justifying terror, ignoring Israeli suffering, and silence on human rights abuses elsewhere in the world, but perhaps this list of groups and initiatives in Israel by Queer activists will help shine a light on ILGA’s sheer hypocrisy.

About the Author
Hava Mendelle, Co-founder and Director of the Queensland Jewish Collective, has an interest in politics and identity. She is a Political Science Graduate from the University of Queensland, Australia, her schooling and work have spanned four different continents and multiple cities from London to Tel Aviv, from New York to Sydney and she has experienced multiple Jewish communities in Israel and the Jewish Diaspora.
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