Israel's embrace of Western culture is exemplified in its treatments of homosexuals. It is a country with a powerful rabbinate and deep religious tradition, yet still offers gays better opportunities in many ways than even most of the United States. Gays are allowed to serve openly in the IDF, for example. Israel is the only Middle Eastern country to allow this.
It is also a well-documented phenomenon that Palestinian gays immigrate illegally to Israel to escape persecution in the territories. But now the Israeli government has taken a step further; it has granted a temporary visa to a gay man from the West Bank who claimed he was under the threat of death at home because of his orientation. He was allowed to join his lover in Tel Aviv.
A residency permit to protect someone from facing repercussions of their sexual orientation? Could you imagine that in Jordan? Could you imagine that even in France?
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