Participants at an upcoming gay pride parade in D.C. will be able to wave the Palestinian flag, but not the Israeli flag or the Jewish pride flag.
The D.C. Dyke March will not allow participants to display Israeli or “nationalist” symbols, according to Forward.
“This includes Israeli flags, as well as flags that resemble Israeli flags, such as a pride flag with a Star of David in the middle,” march organizer Rae Gaines said. Gaines also said American flags would not be welcome at the event, but a Palestinian flag would.
“The issue [with the Jewish Pride flag] is where the Star of David is positioned in a way that looks like an Israeli flag, it creates an unsafe space,” Gaines said.
A joint statement from Jewish, feminist, and LGBT groups condemned the move. They pointed out “rising anti-Semitism on the far right and far left.”
“The DC Dyke March should know better than to stoke the flames of division and pain by driving a wedge between Queer Arabs and Jews at a time we must stand united against homo- and transphobia, anti-Semitism, and Islamophobia,” it reads.
The Anti-Defamation League also called out the move in a Thursday statement.
“Banning the Star of David in their parade is anti-Semitic, plain and simple,” CEO Jonathan Greenblat said. “We call on the organizers to immediately reverse this policy.”
The DC Dyke March banning flags and signs with the Star of David is #antiSemitic, plain and simple. Diversity is a tremendous strength of the community of #LGBTQ supporters. We call on the organizers to reverse this policy immediately: https://t.co/6Vg3xxcL6m
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) June 6, 2019
