Prime Minister Yair Lapid spoke at an event marking 20 years of activity of the Iggy organization, the organization of gay youth and youth in Israel. His arrival at the event is a historic milestone in the life of the gay community in Israel, as a serving prime minister has never been present at a festive and official event of the community.
Prime Minister Lapid at Iggy's event // Photo: Prime Minister's Spokesperson
Iggy was founded in 2002 and today operates over 120 groups and youth clubs for young people and LGBT youth across the country from Kiryat Shmona to Eilat, dealing with issues of youth and young people at risk, fighting against LGBT phobia in the education system, and working for LGBT people from the ultra-orthodox society, the Arab and the trans community.
Yair and Lihya Lapid at Iggy's event, photo: Prime Minister's Spokesperson
The event was held at the Opera House in Tel Aviv, and featured a unique concert by the East and West Jerusalem Orchestra, with new arrangements of the songs of Dana International, a groundbreaking singer who changed the face of Israeli culture and the face of the gay community.
The songs were performed by singers Ilanit, Gali Atari, Korin Alel, Nono, Anna Zak, Zehava Ben, Valerie Hamati, Orna Detz, Sharon Haziz, Dafna Dekel, and Iggy Waxman.
The show is directed by Moshe Kaptan and produced by Shimon Shirazi.
Lapid speaks at Iggy's event,
During the event, Prime Minister Lapid said: "Every couple, of any sex or gender, has the right to decide how to institutionalize their marital relationship and how to realize their love.
Every person has the basic right to be a parent and start a family.
The role of the government is to make sure that every person feels safe in their environment, at school, at home.
The Israeli government will stand against any display of violence and hatred against the community.
No one has a mandate over your body, and certainly not over your emotions."
Dana International in concert, archive, photo: Koko
"The big question is: if the majority of the public is with us, why did all our bills on the subject fail or get stuck? Why am I the first Israeli prime minister to come to an event of the gay community? Why are Israeli politicians holding back an important and just and even popular social revolution? The answer is that they are afraid. 78 percent With us, but they rattle off the other 22 percent. As in any other field, we have allowed the extremists, the shouters, the haters, to have far too much influence. It's time to put an end to it."
"We owe it to Shira Banky. We owe it to Nir and Liz from the youth bar. We owe it to every boy or girl in the periphery who is afraid and feels like they have to hide a terrible secret. We have to hug them and tell them that we are with them. Our mission - of the people who believe in respect And equality for every person - is to shout and fight no less loudly than the LGBT-phobes and the racists.
They are losing this war.
They will remain racists and LGBT people, but their children will no longer be."
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