Moshe Abutbul, the newly re-elected
mayor of Beit Shemesh, is being criticized for “thanking God”
that his city does not have any gay residents.
According to JTA.org,
Abutbul told Israeli Channel 10 that the Health Ministry and the
police are responsible for dealing with the LGBT community.
When the interviewer asked if Beit
Shemesh has gay residents, Abutbul answered, “We have no such
thing. If you mean what I think you mean, then no. Thank God, this
city is holy and pure.”
A complaint was filed against the mayor
on Sunday by the Tel Aviv-based Israeli
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Association.
Shai Doitsh, the group's chairman, said
that the mayor's remarks constitute “incitement, urging attacks on
and a show of contempt for the LGBT community.”
“There are hundreds of gay men and
women in Beit Shemesh,” resident Segev Israel Afriat told Ynetnews,
“and it saddens me that he thinks we should be treated by the
Health Ministry and the police.”