Tel Aviv Pride Canceled Amid Fallout From Israeli Strikes on Iran
Middle East’s largest LGBTQ celebration halted as missile exchanges between Israel and Iran spark safety concerns and citywide shutdowns.
The Israeli city of Tel Aviv canceled its Pride festivities — including the Pride parade — that had been scheduled for the past weekend, citing concerns over potential retaliation against Israel for air strikes on Iranian nuclear and military targets that began on June 13.
The air strikes, part of Operation Rising Lion, involved 200 Israeli fighter jets targeting nearly 100 locations across Iran, including nuclear enrichment facilities and the presumed hiding places of Iranian military leaders.
Israel has claimed the air strikes were necessary to prevent Iran from advancing its efforts to build an atomic weapon, although experts and the U.S. government had previously determined that such efforts were already underway before the strikes, according to the Associated Press.
Iran subsequently retaliated by firing ballistic missiles at Israel, prompting the Israeli military to take shelter during the ongoing back-and-forth air raids between the two countries.
Thus far, 24 people have been killed in Israel and more than 500 injured, while the estimated death toll in Iran stands at at least 224, with thousands more wounded.
Tel Aviv’s Pride parade, which had been scheduled for Friday, the largest such event in the Middle East, typically draws thousands of revelers to the LGBTQ-friendly city. Israel is the only country in the region that recognizes same-sex civil unions, and allows same-sex couples to adopt, and one of the few countries, besides Jordan, where same-sex activity is not criminalized. However, despite “pinkwashing” efforts, the right-wing Likud government and its conservative allies who comprise part of the governing alliance in parliament have sought to chip away at some LGBTQ rights.
Tel Aviv’s Pride parade, which had been scheduled for Friday, is the largest such event in the Middle East and typically draws thousands of revelers to the LGBTQ-friendly city.
Israel is the only country in the region that recognizes same-sex civil unions, allows same-sex couples to adopt, and is one of the few — along with Jordan — where same-sex activity is not criminalized.
However, despite ongoing “pinkwashing” efforts, the right-wing Likud government and its conservative allies in the governing parliamentary coalition have sought to chip away at certain LGBTQ rights.
Pride organizers had invited former Olympian and conservative mouthpiece Caitlyn Jenner as the guest of honor for the festivities. But following the cancellation, the 75-year-old transgender firebrand left Israel via its border with Jordan, whose airspace has been intermittently open and closed throughout the conflict, according to the Times of Israel.
The parade would have been Tel Aviv’s first since before October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants attacked a music festival in southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages — actions that sparked Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza.
But as the Times of Israel reports, the streets of Tel Aviv were effectively a ghost town following the cancellation. A few dozen people spent Saturday sunbathing, playing soccer, strolling along the city’s streets and beaches, and patronizing the few nearby businesses that remained open — although many shops appeared shuttered.
“There are no people,” a man named Victor, who owns a flower shop at the entrance to the open-air Carmel market, not far from the parade route, told the Times.
Many supermarkets were busy, as Israelis sought to store up on basic necessities that they might need if they were forced to shelter in place for long periods of time due to the expected Iranian missile attacks.
According to Ynetnews, Home Front Command — the Israeli Defense Forces unit responsible for civil protections — issued guidelines advising Israelis on how to respond to Iranian missile attacks. All educational activities and public gatherings have been suspended to minimize potential casualties. Public transportation has been scaled back, with major bus lines running limited routes, prioritizing hospitals and other critical infrastructure.
Home Front Command Chief Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo warned of prolonged alerts and urged the public to stay close to protected areas — such as bunkers, reinforced rooms, shelters, or other secure spaces — in the event of nearby missile strikes. The military has emphasized that vigilance is key to ensuring public safety.
The National Security Council has also issued advisories for Israeli citizens abroad, cautioning them against displaying Jewish or Israeli symbols in public — for fear of retaliation — and recommending they avoid crowded events and refrain from sharing travel details on social media.
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