'Cult, mutilation' – Knesset committee erupts after anti-LGBT comments

A Knesset Education Committee meeting erupted on Wednesday after a representative of an anti-LGBT organization called LGBT organizations a “cult” and accused “progressive education” of advocating for “mutilating” organs according to students’ wishes.

The subject of the committee meeting was the Education Ministry’s use of funds earmarked for activities in schools to promote tolerance for LGBT students. According to the pro-LGBT educational organization Hoshen, most of the budget for these activities in the 2023-2024 school year had not been used due to the state’s delay in approving tenders to conduct the activities. Hoshen called on the Education Ministry to act quickly in order to publish and approve tenders for the 2024-2025 school year, in order to be able to take advantage of the leftover funds prior to the end of the calendar year. According to Hoshen, the funds, which amount to NIS 3 million, are the only budget for pro-LGBT activities in Israeli schools.

A representative of the Education Ministry said that new tenders had been published on Wednesday ahead of the committee meeting for the 2024-2025 school year. Yesh Atid MK Yorai Lahav Hertzanu, who is a member of the LGBT community, criticized the Education Ministry for not publishing the tenders ahead of the school year. Lahav Hertzanu quoted from a recent study that showed that 92% of Israeli students hear the word “gay” used as a curse on a regular basis; that 70% of schools do not cooperate with LGBT tolerance organizations; and that violence in schools against LGBT students rose by over 100% in 2023.

A representative of the anti-feminist organization “Shovrot Shivyon” also attended the committee meeting. The representative, Naama Zarbiv, called LGBT organizations a “cult” and said that “the problem with tolerance exists on the side of the LGBT organizations. Progressive education encourages them to mutilate organs based on their [students’] wishes.” The comments led to an uproar in the committee, and Lahav Hertzanu called Zarbiv an “agent of homophobia and violence.”

The chairman of the anti-LGBT organization “Bochrim Mishpacha” (Hebrew for “Choosing Family”), Michael Foah, said that “education for tolerance that tries to police opinions is not tolerance. I do not prevent anyone from expressing his opinion, but there are those who want to force their opinion on me and on a large traditional public that wants pro-family values.”

A warning sign

Yesh Atid MK Meirav Cohen responded by saying that Foah’s comments “were a warning sign that shows that we cannot relent.” MK Gilad Kariv (Labor) called Foah’s organization “anti-family” and accused it of “being the side that believes that it has a monopoly on family life and on Judaism.”