LGBT Strike in Israel Grows Large after Prime Minister’s About-face

Supporters of Israel’s new surrogacy law thought they had secured the support of the prime minister to include gay men in the legislation. The act provides a stipend and time-off from work when a baby is born; but after Prime Minister Netanyahu did an about face, gay men were dropped from the bill, triggering a protest that just continues to grow. What began with a single corporation allowing its employees to have the day off on Sunday as an act of protest, grew to hundreds of businesses. And while the surrogacy law issue continued to fuel the demonstration, other issues also inflamed public sentiment. When a Conservative rabbi was taken from his home in the early hours because he defied the Chief Rabbinate by performing unauthorized weddings, outrage again resulted and those offended said they would join Sunday’s job action. Others said they would participate in the demonstration because of the Nation-State law.