Author Archives: Ethan Heitner

Two youth were killed and dozens injured when a masked, black-clad man opened fire with an M-16 at a community center for GLBT youth in Tel Aviv on Saturday night, hours after the Sabbath ended.

It’s highly reminiscent of a time when Palestinian terror attacks targeted Tel Aviv nightclubs and gathering spots (most famously, the Dolphinarium in 2001; most recently the Tel Aviv central bus station in 2006). Although the manhunt for the killer is still ongoing, the GLBT community in Israel is already pointing fingers at the environment of hatred and bigotry fostered by the Orthodox Jewish community, and specifically the Shas party (which has publicly condemned the killing, to be fair).

So, will we see a roundup of prominent Orthodox politicians? Will those who incite violence be arrested? When the killer is caught, will his family’s house be demolished, to “teach a lesson” to others? If they can’t catch the gunman, will they bomb his neighborhood to rubble? Continue reading →