Dead Sea to host four-day LGBTQ+ event in June, says Israeli Foreign Ministry
Israel has announced that it will deliver the biggest festival for same sex people in the Middle East this June. The announcement was shared by Israel’s Foreign Ministry through its official social media pages.
“Pride rises at the lowest place on earth. This June, the Dead Sea becomes Pride Land, the biggest LGBTQ+ festival ever in the Middle East. Four days of nonstop celebration, community and connection,” reads the update on Facebook that the ministry posted.
The announcement has drawn attention across the region and beyond, coming at a time when Israel is facing international condemnation over its military operations in Gaza and Lebanon. Critics have pointed to the timing of the announcement as an example of what some call pinkwashing — the use of LGBTQ+ rights as a reputational tool to deflect attention from military conduct.
Israel, which has strong ties with Malawi, is one of the few countries in the Middle East where LGBTQ+ events are permitted by law. Most of its neighbours, including Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, criminalise same sex relations to varying degrees over religious doctrines.
The event, branded Pride Land, is positioned at the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth. However, following the Nova Music Festival attacks by Hamas and the perception of same sex people within the group, security at the Pride Land festival is likely to be tight to avoid a repeat of the events of 7 October 2023.
Some Malawians who are in Israel currently working in various farms might attend the event.
