Kbnesset Advocates Spouse Benefits for Gay Members of Knesset

Monday November 04, 2002 19:46

by LF

Would you see this in Palestine or Saudi Arabia?

The first openly gay member of Knesset, Uzi Even, was sworn in today, replacing retired Meretz MK Amnon Rubinstein, HA'ARETZ reported. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon congratulated Even on becoming an MK. Knesset House Committee Chairman Yossi Katz (Labor) will hold a special meeting to ensure that Even receives all the benefits, since many of the Knesset's pension plans and other perks do not grant benefits to same-sex partners. Even, 61, has lived with his partner, Dr. Amit Kama, for 18 years. He served several years in the military where he held scientific positions.

**Knesset Advocates Spouse Benefits for Gay Members of Knesset

The first openly gay member of Knesset, Uzi Even, was sworn in today, replacing retired Meretz MK Amnon Rubinstein,
HA'ARETZ reported. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon congratulated Even on becoming an MK.
Knesset House Committee Chairman Yossi Katz (Labor) will hold a special meeting to ensure that Even receives all the
benefits, since many of the Knesset's pension plans and other perks do not grant benefits to same-sex partners.
Even, 61, has lived with his partner, Dr. Amit Kama, for 18 years. He served several years in the military where he held
scientific positions.

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Comments (4 of 4)

good news

by pat c

Tue Nov 05, 2002 11:24

this is good news & a blow against jewish, islamic & christian homophobes.

some context

by silo

Tue Nov 05, 2002 11:29

"Would you see this in Palestine or Saudi Arabia?"

No, you probably wouldn't, but it raises the question of why you would want to point out the disparity.

Pointing out that Israel has a gay member of parliament, and thus implying that it is "more liberal" or "more democratic" than these other countries (true at the level of national domestic government though this ignores the "fundamentalist" radical Jewish parties who view homosexuality as evil), ignores the underlying context which allows this situation to exist.

Some rudimentary truisms with regard to the situation in the Middle East which might partially explain how this sort of situation can develop include:

That Israel is engaged in an occupation (in its fourth decade, in violation of international law) of the Palestinian nation.

That Israel recieves an enormous level of support (financial, military, and, crucially, ideological) from the United States.

That Israel/Palestine is one of three primary areas of subjugation of a people in the Middle East, the other being Iraq (through the dicatatorship of Saddam Hussein and the imposition of sanctions by the USA and UK) and Kurdish areas of Turkey (through the Turkish military, ably supported by the USA and NATO).

That Middle Eastern governments are unrepresentative and brutal generally, though some are supported by western powers as "moderate" (i.e. facilitating western interests) such as Pakistan and Egypt whilst others are "dangerous", "extremist" or "rogue", such as Iran or Iraq. The various dictatorships which form the bulk of the governments of the Middle East are notoriously brutal, yet have been ably supported by various western powers (for reasons of narrow self-interest and power generally) for most of the last century.

[The likelihood is that the above post is trolling/spamming (probably has been posted to a variety of indymedia newswires) but the points raised deserve answers. If seen on other newswires perhaps it should be countered with arguments such as those above.]

so what

by so what

Tue Nov 05, 2002 13:05

As far as I remember a high proportion of the NAZI SA were homosexuals. whats your point

Good, but..

by Frank

Tue Nov 05, 2002 16:04

It is of course good that any government is forced to give rights to gays. But the poster seems really chuffed as if this proves the progressive credentials of the Zionist entity.

Spare a thought for the more than a million Palestinians who were ethnically cleansed by those who established Israel half a century ago and are denied the right to return to to their land which has been stolen from them.

What it proves is not that the Sharon loves gays, only that he hates them less than he and his fellow Zionists hate Palestinians.

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Kbnesset Advocates Spouse Benefits for Gay Members of Knesset

Comments (4 of 4)