(Article by Chris Menahan republished from InformationLiberation.com)
LIBERATION????THE FIRST EVER PRIDE FLAG RAISED IN GAZA!
Under Hamas, being gay means death. Israeli Yoav Atzmoni wanted to send a message of hope. See his story below.
To Gaza’s hidden LGBTQ+ community: STAY HOPEFUL of a future where you can live and love free of Hamas! pic.twitter.com/9NOGfqhNVQ
— leekern (@leekern13) November 12, 2023
YOAV SPEAKS:
Before entering Gaza, I asked my partner to bring me two pride flags:
The first is an Israeli flag in pride colours that I pose with on a tank
It sends two messages
There is an internal message to Israel: that we carry obligations towards the state and must…
— leekern (@leekern13) November 12, 2023
They did the meme!!! pic.twitter.com/WkQDFWgGJw
— Bryan Green (@BryanGreenbaum) November 12, 2023
The flag was unfurled by 31-year-old gay Israeli soldier Yoav Atzmoni and shared on social media by "Borat 2" screenwriter Lee Kern.
Kern shared Atzmoni's statement on X:
YOAV SPEAKS:
Before entering Gaza, I asked my partner to bring me two pride flags:
The first is an Israeli flag in pride colours that I pose with on a tank
It sends two messages
There is an internal message to Israel: that we carry obligations towards the state and must demand gay rights here - not necessarily to marry and start a family, but something more basic - the right to security as LGBTQ people, the right to respect, the right to be part of the national ethos, the right to be counted and recognized
The external message to the world is that despite the pain of war - the IDF is the ONLY army in the Middle East that defends democratic values. It is the ONLY army that allows gay people the freedom to be who we are. And so I fully believe in the righteousness of our cause.
The second flag is a simple pride flag that represents global solidarity.
When I entered Gaza, I knew I would write a message in three languages, but I hadn't yet decided what to say. (I should mention that I speak both spoken and literary Arabic).
In the early days of the conflict I saw the Arabic inscription 'Bismillah' ('In the Name of God') on many houses
I decided to correspond with this by writing "Bismilahav" - which means "In the Name of Love"
Additionally, 'In the Name of Love' is a song by the band U2 that I really like!
My intention was to plant the first pride flag in Gaza as a call for peace and as a message of freedom
"Pride" flags have become symbols of occupation to millions throughout the world.
The US similarly hoisted a "Pride" flag in Afghanistan during their occupation.
They also put up murals to George Floyd -- all of which were taken down after Taliban took back their country.
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