Arab and LGBTQ in Israel: How Tahini is Sparking a National Conversation

It’s been quite a year for the Arab LGBTQ movement in Israel. On top of COVID-19, protests, and political crises, a series of events have pushed LGBTQ issues into the Arab public eye as never before. Last week, a donation made by the Arab-owned Al-Arz Tahini company to Israel’s national LGBTQ association ignited unprecedented backlash both for supporting LGBTQ issues, as well as for not supporting them via an Arab NGO. As supporters rallied around Al-Arz in response, the ongoing controversy is bringing the long-suppressed discussion of Arab LGBTQ issues out into the open.

What light does this controversy shed on Arab LGBTQ realities in Israel? What opportunities does it present for Jewish-Arab LGBTQ relations and/or the Arab LGBTQ movement in Israel?

Join A Wider Bridge and the Inter-Agency Task Force on Israeli-Arab Issues on Thursday, July 23 at 9am (PT)/12pm (ET)/ 7pm (Israel Time) for a discussion with Ohad Hizki, CEO of Aguda, The Association for LGBTQ Equality in Israel, and Khader Abu Seif, writer, artist, and activist featured in the 2015 film Oriented. 

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