Jerusalem's Chief Rabbi Aryeh Stern called for rainbow flags not to be waved at the Jerusalem Gay Pride March, or to be hung along the parade route, in a letter to the city's mayor.
Stern said rainbow flags are “ugly” and the gay pride march is a “disgrace,” in a formal letter sent to Mayor Moshe Lion on Monday (May 27).
“I know from a legal point of view that the mayor does not have the ability to stop the parade, and therefore I ask that he at least decide that the flags should not be waved, as they make the city ugly,” Stern said.
Stern continued: “I trust you to act wisely to remove this disgrace from us, especially now in these holy days between Jerusalem Day and Shavuot,” the letter said.
The letter, which was leaked to the press, also asked Lion to “spare us this embarrassment”.
But in a statement, the Jerusalem Municipality said the flags would be placed as in previous years before the parade, in line with court rulings on the matter.
The Jerusalem Pride March is due to be held on June 6th.
