PINKWASHING Regional Global Impact PINKWASHING is a public

PINKWASHING Regional & Global Impact

PINKWASHING is a public relation campaign, launched in 2005, in order to divert the international attention away from Israel’s occupation and war crimes by the cynical use of its relative good gay rights. is the attempt to justify Israel’s occupation of Palestine by portraying it as a progressive, democratic and the “only gay haven, ” in direct contrast with the “dangerous” Palestinian society. is a campaign led and funded by the Israeli government, in cooperation with LGBT Israeli groups, and Jewish and right wing organizations in North America and globally.

PINKWASHING

BRAND ISRAEL Pinkwashing is part of Israel’s broader PR government campaign Brand Israel (2005) aimed at fixing the world’s image of Israel as a brutal occupying force and a war zone, and re-branding Israel as a “modern democracy in the Middle East. ” Through this campaign, the Israeli government has paid and promoted programs in arts, sciences and other disciplines that promote an image of Israeli associated with innovative technology, a green economy, and cultural diversity.

BRAND ISRAEL

PINKWASHING – Examples LGBT Delegations to Israel: § LGBT Leaders from the US, Europe and more § Building connection with Israel § LGBT leaders celebrate gay friendly Israel § Leading organization is A Wider Bridge from SF

PINKWASHING – Examples Gay Tourism: § Tel Aviv NOT Israel § Sandy beaches NOT ethnically cleansed villages § Hot gay guys NOT soldiers § Fabulous gay night life NOT a war zone § 30, 000 tourists in 2014 § Revenues of 50 million shekels

PINKWASHING – Examples Sponsored Events featuring Gay life in Israel: § Organized by Pinkwashing Jewish LGBT orgs. § Sponsored by Israeli Consulates and/or Jewish Federations § Featuring gay soldiers § Hosting LGBT Israeli leaders

PINKWASHING – Examples Spotlights in Intl. Film Festivals and Conferences: § sponsored by Israeli consulate (payment to the festival) § Celebrating Israel records in gay rights in intl. conferences

PINKWASHING – Examples Israeli Gay Parties § PAPA and Sherazi parties are very popular among gay men in the U. S. , Europe and more § Popular among gay arabs § Bringing TLV gay night life to you § hidden pinkwashing

PINKWASHING LOGIC Racist -Colonial Logic § using “Israel’s gay rights” record aims to normalizes Zionism - a racist ethnic ideology – and make it more appealing to gay people globally. § does not simply emphasize how Israel is a fun, fabulous, modern - thus democratic and liberal - state, but it is mainly based on dehumanizing Palestinians by presenting them as backward. § homophobia and intolerance is a rooted disease in Palestine while tolerance is inherent to Israel as a liberal modern project. § the relationship between Israel and Palestine is between those who are "modern/open", and those who are "backward/homophobic“ and NOT colonizer-colonized.

PINKWASHING LOGIC Single Politics § relies on the logic of “gay rights” as it is commonly practiced by mainstream movements – a single-issue politics based on one’s sexual identity to the exclusion of other interconnected injustices. § The use of western organizing frameworks creates common language with other gay (middle class, white) individuals/communities. § by adopting gay rights as the ultimate “progressiveness” measure, Israel is aliening itself with the (neo)liberal states. § the use of gay rights allows Israel to conceal its settler colonial premise which is based on intense forms of sexual regulation.

PINKWASHING MYTHS § Israel is a “Gay Haven” and a great gay tourism destination § Palestinian queers need to be saved by the Israeli government § Palestinian society is “more homophobic” than Israeli society § Israel gives Palestinian queers asylum § Palestinian Authority is persecuting queers

Pride Meets Nationalism

Pride in Militarism

PINKWASHING CHALLANGES A shift in Pinkwashing discourse § From direct racist language (Stand with Us), to a friendlier, more liberal and more subtle language (A Wider Bridge). § A shift in discourse too: tolerance, inclusion, and dialogue. § makes pinkwashing harder to recognize § Allow mainstream LGBT organizations hide behind masks of inclusion and liberalism. § An emphasis on “inclusion, ” effectively and paradoxically means including racist pinkwasher organizations. § Such surface-level inclusion actually leads to deep, structural exclusion.

PINKWASHING CHALLANGES For intl. communities: § dealing with anti-Semitism accusation § facing funding threats and media backlash § having tough time excluding other LGBT groups § or going “against” gay rights/movements no matter where § It is hard to identify new pinkwashing events/discourse

PINKWASHING CHALLANGES For Arab communities: § Comparing Israel to Arab countries and therefore consuming pinkwashing myths § the colonizer standards and fantasies about gay rights, homophobia and racism are internalized inside Arab LGBTQ communities