New research indicates that homophobia is rife in Israel.

Responding to a survey conducted by the school of psychology at the Center for Academic Studies in Or Yehuda, one-third of people said they are “disgusted” by sex between men. Only 6% of respondents said the same about sex between women.

Some 19% of parents said they would prohibit their children from meeting gays or lesbians, and 17% said they would support a law limiting homosexual relations.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

A quarter of respondents completely object to homosexuality and 7% stated that they opposed it because it was forbidden according to their religion. About one in three people were of the opinion that when it comes to sex “anything goes.”

Interestingly, the survey comes at a time when the Israeli establishment is better disposed than ever to requests by the gay rights lobby. In May, for instance, the state agreed for the first time to register an overseas adoption by a gay couple. The child is to be granted Israeli citizenship.

The case involves 8-year-old boy from Cambodia who was adopted in America in 2000 by two men with dual American-Israeli citizenship. Since 2001, the child has lived in Israel on a temporary residence visa that is extended annually.

Gay rights organizations have praised the decision and New Family, an advocacy organization for non-conventional families in Israel, said that the ruling indicates that Israel is starting to hold same-sex parents in the same regard it holds male-female parents.

Then last week the National Insurance Institute granted “maternity” leave for a same-sex couple. Yonatan Gher, director of the Jerusalem-based Open House Pride and Tolerance organization, received approval for 64 days government-funded leave from work following the birth of his biological son, born to a surrogate mother in India.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’ve started our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we need 1,800 readers like you to step up to support the Forward by April 21. Members of the Forward board are even matching the first 1,000 gifts, up to $70,000.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism, because every dollar goes twice as far.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

2X match on all Passover gifts!

$90 → $180 $180 → $360

$360 → $720

Other amount