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| Palestinian protesters whitewash rainbow flag from West Bank barrier | Palestinian protesters whitewash rainbow flag from West Bank barrier |
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| Palestinian protesters have whitewashed a rainbow flag painted on six slabs of the West Bank separation barrier. Khaled Jarrar, the Palestinian painter of the piece, said his art was meant as a reminder of Israeli occupation, at a time when gay rights are in the news after the US allowed same-sex marriage. | Palestinian protesters have whitewashed a rainbow flag painted on six slabs of the West Bank separation barrier. Khaled Jarrar, the Palestinian painter of the piece, said his art was meant as a reminder of Israeli occupation, at a time when gay rights are in the news after the US allowed same-sex marriage. |
| But protesters perceived the painting as support for homosexuality, a taboo subject in Palestinian society where gay people are not tolerated. It ignited angry responses and activists whitewashed the flag on Monday night, just a few hours after it was painted on the best-known section of Israel’s graffiti-covered barrier, next to a portrait of Yasser Arafat and other Palestinian figures. | But protesters perceived the painting as support for homosexuality, a taboo subject in Palestinian society where gay people are not tolerated. It ignited angry responses and activists whitewashed the flag on Monday night, just a few hours after it was painted on the best-known section of Israel’s graffiti-covered barrier, next to a portrait of Yasser Arafat and other Palestinian figures. |
| Jarrar, 39, who has exhibited his work in Europe and the US, told the Associated Press on Tuesday that the destruction “reflects the absence of tolerance and freedoms in the Palestinian society”. | |
| “People don’t accept different thinking in our society,” he said, adding he painted the rainbow flag on the barrier to put a spotlight on Palestinian issues. | |
| Related: Rainbow over Palestine | Related: Rainbow over Palestine |
| Muhammad, who only gave his first name for fear of repercussions, said he helped whitewash the flag because “we cannot promote gay rights”. | Muhammad, who only gave his first name for fear of repercussions, said he helped whitewash the flag because “we cannot promote gay rights”. |
| Muhammad al-Amleh, a 46-year-old lawyer, approved of the action, saying “it would be shameful to have the flag of gays in our refugee camp”. | |
| Gay Palestinians tend to be secretive about their social lives and some have crossed into Israel to live safely. A 1951 Jordanian law banning homosexual acts remains in effect in the West Bank, as does a ban in Gaza passed by British authorities in 1936. | Gay Palestinians tend to be secretive about their social lives and some have crossed into Israel to live safely. A 1951 Jordanian law banning homosexual acts remains in effect in the West Bank, as does a ban in Gaza passed by British authorities in 1936. |
| Israel, meanwhile, has emerged as one of the world’s most gay-friendly travel destinations, in sharp contrast to the rest of the Middle East where gay people are often persecuted and even killed. Earlier this month, more than 100,000 people attended a gay pride parade in Tel Aviv. | Israel, meanwhile, has emerged as one of the world’s most gay-friendly travel destinations, in sharp contrast to the rest of the Middle East where gay people are often persecuted and even killed. Earlier this month, more than 100,000 people attended a gay pride parade in Tel Aviv. |
| Officially there is still no same-sex marriage in Israel, primarily because there is no civil marriage of any kind – all Jewish weddings must be conducted through the rabbinate, which considers homosexuality a sin and a violation of Jewish law. But the state recognises same-sex couples who marry abroad. | |
| Same-sex relations are punishable by death in Iran, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen. | Same-sex relations are punishable by death in Iran, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen. |