Jerusalem, Israel -
Mayor Uri Lupolianski was interviewed Friday on “Radio Jerusalem” regarding the Jerusalem Pride Parade. He blasted the LGBT community in the city and the Pride Parade. The mayor said that he is working to cancel the WorldPride celebrations planned for next year in Jerusalem.
“This is a horrible parade. It is not only ugly; it's also a provocation. It's not appropriate for the city, and it offends the sensibilities of its residents. Even people distant from Jerusalem must grasp that this is a sacred city for the Jewish people, and the world as a whole. This isn't Paris, and it isn't London. I'm not talking about what a person does privately in his home - a parade in public is something else.” “Jerusalem is the Holy City, not just for religious people, but in its very essence. There is a difference between everyone dancing his own dance as usual, and having a parade, which is an attempt to jump up and stomp on the toes of the general public. If somebody has some sort of deviant trait, it doesn't mean that he has to raise its banner in public."
Lupolianski said that he could not prevent the parade, even though he tried. “If I had the legal means to stop a parade that harms the city and its residents, I would prevent the parade. I tried to do so, but it was made clear to me that I don't have the authority." Lupolianski compared Pride to a parade of Jews with pork in the middle of an Arab neighborhood. “They came just to arouse anger, to fight and bring about disgusting things,” he added.
“I am now making my protest. This Pride is marching to nowhere. This is a march of disgrace, not pride,” said the mayor. He added that he has no intention of acting against the LGBT community’s clubs: “They are in the grey area,” he explained.
The mayor supported the ultra-orthodox protests against the parade, “a justified protest,” he said.
The mayor clarified that he is against any sort of violence against the LGBT community and that his opposition to the parade should not for a moment encourage violence.
Hagai El-Ad, director of the Jerusalem Open House, the city’s LGBT center, said in reply: “Lupolianski finally admitted that he has indeed tried to prevent Jerusalem Pride. Unfortunately, without any legal nor moral capability to cancel the Pride events the mayor so dislikes, one can only conclude that there was an attempt to improperly use the city bureaucracy in order to harm the parade. These efforts of course failed, just as any similar attempts in the future will.”
“Of all the mayor’s election night promises of pluralism, nothing remains. Instead, the mayor remains silent to those who incite, ignores their defamatory remarks and even tries to justify them. Jerusalem deserves positive leadership that denounces expressions of hate, racism or incitement and works for a tolerant and enlightened Jerusalem. Instead of that, the city is lead by a man who drags Jerusalem down into factionalism and intolerable discrimination.”
“The position of city hall emphasizes the need for the Pride events in Jerusalem, as the front line of the struggle for a sane Jerusalem. The LGBT community must not stand on this front line alone, and we are certain that all supporters of freedom here in Jerusalem and around the world will continue to struggle together with us to bring light to Jerusalem - through Jerusalem WorldPride 2005 and beyond.”
“This is a horrible parade. It is not only ugly; it's also a provocation. It's not appropriate for the city, and it offends the sensibilities of its residents. Even people distant from Jerusalem must grasp that this is a sacred city for the Jewish people, and the world as a whole. This isn't Paris, and it isn't London. I'm not talking about what a person does privately in his home - a parade in public is something else.” “Jerusalem is the Holy City, not just for religious people, but in its very essence. There is a difference between everyone dancing his own dance as usual, and having a parade, which is an attempt to jump up and stomp on the toes of the general public. If somebody has some sort of deviant trait, it doesn't mean that he has to raise its banner in public."
Lupolianski said that he could not prevent the parade, even though he tried. “If I had the legal means to stop a parade that harms the city and its residents, I would prevent the parade. I tried to do so, but it was made clear to me that I don't have the authority." Lupolianski compared Pride to a parade of Jews with pork in the middle of an Arab neighborhood. “They came just to arouse anger, to fight and bring about disgusting things,” he added.
“I am now making my protest. This Pride is marching to nowhere. This is a march of disgrace, not pride,” said the mayor. He added that he has no intention of acting against the LGBT community’s clubs: “They are in the grey area,” he explained.
The mayor supported the ultra-orthodox protests against the parade, “a justified protest,” he said.
The mayor clarified that he is against any sort of violence against the LGBT community and that his opposition to the parade should not for a moment encourage violence.
Hagai El-Ad, director of the Jerusalem Open House, the city’s LGBT center, said in reply: “Lupolianski finally admitted that he has indeed tried to prevent Jerusalem Pride. Unfortunately, without any legal nor moral capability to cancel the Pride events the mayor so dislikes, one can only conclude that there was an attempt to improperly use the city bureaucracy in order to harm the parade. These efforts of course failed, just as any similar attempts in the future will.”
“Of all the mayor’s election night promises of pluralism, nothing remains. Instead, the mayor remains silent to those who incite, ignores their defamatory remarks and even tries to justify them. Jerusalem deserves positive leadership that denounces expressions of hate, racism or incitement and works for a tolerant and enlightened Jerusalem. Instead of that, the city is lead by a man who drags Jerusalem down into factionalism and intolerable discrimination.”
“The position of city hall emphasizes the need for the Pride events in Jerusalem, as the front line of the struggle for a sane Jerusalem. The LGBT community must not stand on this front line alone, and we are certain that all supporters of freedom here in Jerusalem and around the world will continue to struggle together with us to bring light to Jerusalem - through Jerusalem WorldPride 2005 and beyond.”
