Tens of thousands of demonstrators from Israel's LGBTQ community and their supporters gathered at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv on Sunday for a mass rally at the culmination of a daylong strike in protest of the exclusion of gay men from new surrogacy legislation.
Organizers said some 80,000 people participated in the rally, which featured performances by several leading Israeli artists and speeches by prominent LGBTQ figures.
Earlier in the day, demonstrators blocked major highways in Tel Aviv and held other protests in Israeli cities, including a rally across from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem.
"Netanyahu's a homophobe," chanted protesters opposite the Israeli prime minister's Jerusalem home. "There is no equality, there's discrimination, we will topple the government."
Netanyahu said he would support a separate amendment focusing on single men's right to use surrogacy services. Such an amendment is said to be in the works by MK Amir Ohana, the first openly gay Likud legislator.
The distinction drawn by the premier, whose coalition includes ultra-Orthodox parties, touched a nerve in Israel, which does not recognize same-sex marriages but recognizes such unions if they are performed abroad.
"Although Israel has a very liberal image concerning gays, it's not the case when you look at Israeli law," said former Israeli lawmaker Nitzan Horowitz.
"This is nothing short of a battle for the character of Israeli society," Chen Arieli, head of The Aguda – Israel's LGBT Task Force, told a crowd waving rainbow flags and banners reading "Yes to equality" and "No to discrimination."
"Netanyahu, look out at this square!" she exclaimed, eliciting cheers from the crowd. "This is the biggest protest in the [LGBTQ] community's history and now it's our turn to say, enough! We demand action – in legislation, in budgets, in policy and in long-term plans that have to be formulated with us, not above our heads. We are equal citizens in this country!"
"Tonight, our community offers nothing less than an alternative to Israeli reality. We offer a plan that takes into account the differences between people and their complexities and collects them into one united call that proves that together we are strong. Together, we will create the Israeli society in which we want to live," she said.
"We came here today to say to the government 'No more,' we want equality and we want equal rights for everyone," said Oz Dani, 43, an insurance company worker who said he and his partner had to travel abroad for expensive surrogacy.
"We are a gay couple, just married, and we have been trying to have a baby outside of Israel, but it costs a lot of money. Almost a million shekels ($276,000) – money we don't have."
Dozens of companies expressed their support for the LGBTQ community Sunday, allowing employees seeking to strike to do so. These included the Israel Airports Authority, the Israel Postal Company, the Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv, and Israeli national airline El Al.
The Histadrut labor federation also issued instructions calling on all unions and management nationwide to support LGBTQ workers who chose to strike in prowwww.
The military had originally barred gay soldiers from participating in the protest, but Military Judge Advocate General Maj. Gen. Sharon Afek – the first openly gay member of the General Staff – later said he would not pursue disciplinary action against soldiers who violated the directive.
Arieli later said that LGBTQ activists were already in touch with officials at the Prime Minister's Office to provide input for Ohana's future amendment.
Still, it is believed that Shas and United Torah Judaism, the ultra-Orthodox religious parties in the coalition, will block any proposal that supports the gay lifestyle, fearing that an amendment of this kind would potentially change the secular-religious status quo.
Under the coalition agreement, Shas and United Torah Judaism can veto bills seeking to change the long-standing arrangement.
