Israeli premier visits Tel Aviv gay centre, site of shooting attack

Aug 6, 2009, 8:48 GMT

Tel Aviv - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Thursday visited a gay centre in Tel Aviv, the site of a shooting attack Saturday night that killed a 26-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl.

Netanyahu arrived amid tight security, under police escort, as the gunman is still at large.

The premier expressed sympathy with the gay community, whose representatives handed him a letter, protesting what they said was dangerous incitement against it by ultra-Orthodox lawmakers and members of Netanyahu's own government, Israeli media reported.

'We, members of the gay-lesbian community experience every day verbal and physical violence in families, schools and work places. More than once has severe incitement been heard from many elements, including Knesset (parliament) members and ministers in your government,' said the letter.

It called the shooting attack, which is widely believed to have been a hate crime, although this has as yet not been confirmed, the 'worst incident' that befell Israel's gay community since the state was founded in 1948.

Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai, who accompanied the premier, said his city had 'done so much, so that each individual living in it can feel safe. We must enlist for the safety of an entire community.'

The sunny beach city is regarded as the gay capital of a region where religious zealots, whether Jews or Muslims, generally see homosexuality as an 'abomination.'

It takes pride in its flamboyant annual pride parade and many gay bars, clubs and events - and the shooting Saturday night shocked many.

An opinion poll published in the Israeli Ha'aretz newspaper Thursday said that 71 per cent of Israel's ultra-Orthodox Jewish population regard homosexuality as a perversion, as do 64 per cent of its Arab citizens, 57 per cent of Russian-speaking immigrants and 44 per cent of observant, traditional Jewish.

Of the country's predominantly secular population, however, fewer than a quarter regard homosexuality as such, according to the poll, to be published in full Friday.

Ha'aretz commissioned the Dialog polling institute, which interviewed 498 adult Israelis and whose professor Camil Fuchs said this indicated a clear decline in homophobia compared to previous polls.