The Aguda, the Association for LGBTQ Equality in Israel, faced heavy criticism after posting a celebratory message on Wednesday about Speaker of the Knesset Amir Ohana securing a top position on the Likud party list.
The post received only about 400 likes alongside over a thousand comments, mostly criticizing the decision to congratulate Ohana, who did not use his power in the Knesset to advance legislation benefiting the community.
“When a community member is elected by a large public, when a community member reaches positions of influence at the core of politics, it sends an important message,” the association wrote.
“It highlights the ability of each and every one of us to integrate, lead, and reach any role, and this is a direct result of the long-standing LGBTQ struggle that moved the community from the backyard of Israeli society to center stage.”
“The election of Amir Ohana – as an openly gay man and proud father – to the top of Likud by tens of thousands of party members is an LGBTQ achievement. It reflects how broad and cross-party the public consensus around the community has become,” they added.
LGBTQ community members respond with sharp criticism
Community members and many others left sharp comments on the post. Some questioned whether the organization’s account had been hacked, while others poked fun at the situation: “Thanks to decades of stubborn struggle, now LGBTQ people can be fascists too,” one user wrote.
“A community member who lends a hand to a coalition that raised flags with statements like ‘LGBTQ people are worse than Hezbollah,’ and hasn’t passed a single law for the community despite being in a majority position. Truly a great point of pride,” wrote another user.
“Unbelievable to an almost homophobic degree. You are congratulating a person solely based on his sexual identity. He has done nothing for the community and has no connection to the ideology,” another commenter added.
