Will There Be A Discrimination Law In Israel Targeting LGBTQ+ People?

As the Israeli government settles in, the LGBTQ+ community has every reason to be worried. Insulting remarks and rumors of anti-LGBTQ legislation to come are circulating, and the Israeli President himself has expressed deep concern. 

President Of Israel's Concerns

Israeli President Isaac Herzog recently expressed concern over the rise of intolerance towards the LGBTQ+ community among the Israeli parliament and politicians forming the new government. 

"A situation in which citizens in Israel feel threatened because of their identity or belief undermines the fundamental democratic values of the State of Israel," President Herzog wrote. "The [bigoted] comments heard in recent days against the LGBT community and against any different groups and sectors worry and disturb me a great deal."

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President Herzog's palpable concern over the rising trend of such discrimination and intolerance is an important alert that must be recognized and taken seriously. Furthermore, a rumor has spread about possible anti-LGBTQ legislation adopted within the coalition that would allow private businesses to refuse services based on religious beliefs if a similar service is available nearby at a similar price.

Orit Strock's Audacious Provocations

This rumor follows the outrageous statement of the Religious Zionist Minister of National Missions Orit Strock. She recently caused an uproar by claiming that doctors should be able to refuse treatments if their patients conflict with their religious grounds. Strock later clarified that her comment was not about explicit service refusal, but rather excluding a service provider due to their identity or orientation. (Well, that's called discrimination in both cases). 

Is The Coalition Planning Anti-LGBTQ Legislation?

In response to this rumor, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refuted claims that Israel might soon legalize discrimination based on religious belief.

"The coalition agreements do not enable discrimination against LGBT people or harm their rights to receive services like every citizen in Israel," he said.

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But it appears that such legislation, which would be as an amendment, is indeed part of the coalition deal between Likud, the Religious Zionist Party, and United Torah Judaism - these parties now constitute the current government. This document was accessed by Michael Shemesh, a correspondent for the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, KAN, who posted a photo of it on Twitter. 

Professionals And Associations Protest

In addition to the international community, which is closely monitoring the situation, know that current and former Israeli healthcare professionals, politicians, civil organizations, and tech companies have expressed indignation at the possibility of service providers discriminating against their patients based on their gender identities or sexual orientations. This discriminatory attitude is also strongly condemned by Israeli public opinion.

What Does The Current Law Say?

The current anti-discrimination Israeli law prohibits discrimination by public service or product providers based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity while allowing for religious exemptions. At present, although Prime Minister Netanyahu has backed down, it is still unclear whether this proposal will eventually become an official policy for Israeli society.