Israeli education minister says being gay is unnatural

Rafael Peretz condemned by cabinet colleagues and facing calls to resign over 'wretched' remarks

Israeli Education Minister Rafi Peretz also said 'normative' family is one with a man and a woman (AFP via Getty Images)

Israel’s education minister has sparked fury by implying it is unnatural and unhealthy not to be heterosexual.

Rafael Peretz, an Orthodox rabbi, drew condemnation from his colleagues and fresh calls to resign after he was asked by Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper what he would do if one his children had a “different sexual orientation”.

“Thank God, my children grew up in a natural and healthy way,” he replied. “They are building their homes on the basis of Jewish values. I don’t bother my head with ‘what if’ thinking.”

Mr Peretz, who leads the Orthodox Jewish party Jewish Home, assumed the education portfolio in Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government in June.

One month later, hundreds of protesters demanded his resignation after he voiced a belief in gay “conversion therapy” and admitted he had tried it on a student.

After international outcry and a rebuke from Mr Netanyahu, he claimed his words were taken out of context, clarifying that he had in the past referred students to such therapists and believes ”it is possible” for such methods to change a person’s sexual orientation, but that he did not support it.

Justice minister Amir Ohana, who has children with a same-sex partner, condemned his cabinet colleague’s latest remarks as “wretched, and not for the first time”, adding they “do not reflect the government’s position”.

“[His words] are not based on knowledge and facts, but rather on prejudice,” Mr Ohana said. “I grew up in a healthy, good and loving family, as are my children and the children of many LGBTs from all parts of the country, from all over the political spectrum.”

Several Israeli school districts held impromptu classes promoting tolerance on Sunday in the wake of Mr Peretz’s comments.

“I will promote within the municipal educational system a programme of democracy, equality, recognition of the other and acceptance of differences. In short – everything that is the opposite of Rabbi Rafi,” said Amir Kochavi, mayor of the city of Hod Hasharon near Tel Aviv.

Israel’s oldest newspaper published an editorial headlined “Minister of Ignorance” which said Mr Peretz’s views were not compatible with his government role.

“The education system shapes the entire Israeli society,” the article in Haaretz said. “Peretz’s narrow and benighted worldview disqualifies him from serving as education minister.”

In the interview, Mr Peretz also described the “normative” Israeli family as one with “a man and a woman” and called for the West Bank to be annexed while only granting the Palestinians who live there the right to vote in local elections at most.

He also expressed a preference for refusing Africans asylum because they “have their own certain mentality and their place is in their own country. We are the state of the Jews”.

Tel Aviv’s mayor insisted the remarks could not be ignored, after Mr Peretz managed to keep his ministerial position despite his conversion therapy comments.

“[Mr Perretz] thinks he has a god-given qualification to decide what is natural and what is normative,” said mayor Ron Huldai. “There is no choice but to fight for our values and principles as a democratic society, where the citizen has the right to learn, know and decide what is normative and what is natural.”

Israel is just weeks away from its third election in less than a year. It remains to be seen how Mr Peretz’s comments will affect his party’s share of the vote and its ability to make electoral pacts.

Additional reporting by Reuters