פורסם בתאריך: 24 בינואר 2012

Tel Aviv, is the most well known city in Israel and one of the few places in the Middle East where the LGBT community can feel free and safe in public

Due to Tel Aviv's vibrant nightlife, great climate most of the year, the city has become one of the world's top LGBT tourist destinations
Tel Aviv devotes $100,000 – more than 33% of it's international marketing budget to draw LGBT tourists, although there aren't exact figures but official estimate that tens of thousands of tourists from abroad arrive annually
"We are trying to create a model for openness, tolerance and plurialism" Says Tel Aviv's mayor Ron Huladi
We've long recognized the potential of the LGBT community, who are quality tourists who spend money and set trend says  Pini Shani, a tourism Ministry official who's been involved in the campaign
Tel Aviv has also become a safe have for homosexual Palestinians who can face ostracism or even persecution at home at the Palestinian lands, as well as the Ultra-Orthodox Jews who escape their repressive homes to the big and free city of Tel Aviv
Behind the image of a society struggling with religious coercion and constant threats of war, Israel is one of the world's most progressive countries in terms of LGBT rights
LGBT serve openly in Israel's military and parliament and the Supreme Court has granted them a variety of family rights
Israel is the first country that featured a same sex duo on the competition "Danding with the Stars" and Gays, Lesbians and even transsexual are among the country's most popular actors and musicians
Official, there's no gay marriage in Israel primarily because there's no civil marriage, all weddings must be done through the Jewish rabbinate which considers homosexuality as a sin and a violation of the Jewish law although the state does recognize same sex couples who marry abroad
Gay adoption is illegal but couple can get around and adopt abroad
The city holds a festive gay parade annually, and rainbow flags are seen often flying from apartment windows
Tel Aviv was recently recognized by the readers of the travel website GayCities and American Airlines customers as the best gay city of 2011 ahead of New York, Toronto and London
Things are very different in other cities in Israel, like Jerusalem where two thirds of the city's 800,000 residents come from ultra-orthodox or arab sectors
In 2005, an ultra-orthodox Jewish protester stabbed three marchers at a Jerusalem gay parade, a few years ago, a lawmaker from the ultra-orthodox shas part suggested that earthquakes are divine punishment for homosexuality
Generally, Tel Aviv's atmosphere is so liberal that certain clubs refer to themselves now as straight friendly