LGBTQ+

Amid the negotiations, a drag queen, a Persian-Israeli singer, and a DJ have teamed up to issue a call for freedom.

Friday's group game falls on Seattle's Pride weekend, a scheduling quirk that emerged only after December's draw pitted the two Muslim-majority countries against each other.

"They're not going to turn off the World Cup on state television in Iran or Egypt to block out a Pride flag in the audience," Cairns said.

According to sources, plans for the Shin Bet's Pride Month event were well underway when the organizers were notified of its cancellation, with no clear explanation provided. 

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned from working at JQY is that allyship cannot be assumed. It has to be visible.

OutFront Kalamazoo, which put on the festival, posted saying the organization had heard from "many community members who were hurt, distressed, or angered by the presence of Israeli flags."

Histadrut HaMaof, a branch of Israel's national labor federation, demanded that the government halt the move and hold talks with workers’ representatives before any funding is cut.

For the past decade, I have been working with my colleagues at Eshel to increase acceptance of LGBTQ+ individuals in the Orthodox Jewish world.

Pride Month can easily become a celebration of how far Israel has come, but the work is not finished. LGBTQ+ Israelis still face barriers that many heterosexual Israelis never have to think of.

Haifa Magistrate's Court Judge Jada Basul found there was reasonable suspicion that a crime had been committed, but ruled there was no justification for keeping Amir Maron in custody.