Jerusalem’s pride parade will take place on Thursday. Right-wing activists Baruch Marzel and Itamar Ben-Gvir had submitted a petition to the courts to the parade form going forth, but the courts rejected the petition.
In a refreshing statement, Justice Ayala Procaccia said during the hearing, “a proper balance must be maintained between the desires of the gay/lesbian community to march, and the feelings of the city’s residents – it is important that such parades become a matter of routine instead of causing a commotion every year.” [Emphasis mine.] I found the concluding paragraph interesting…

It appears that the protests against the Gay Pride parade will be far less substantial than in previous years, especially because of the religious community’s understanding that it is precisely their protest that grants so much publicity to the event and exposes their youth to the gay/lesbian community.

… and hopeful. I mean, this should have been obvious to them from the get go. But if the parade is able to happen without the sickening protests and displays of homophobia, that would be wonderful. B’ezrat ha’Shem!
[Read more, JTA.]