Originally published in June of 2024, and updated in May of 2026, here are Keshet’s responses to some of the challenging questions that have arisen in this painful and ever-changing time. We hope these can help you navigate the complexity of this moment.

It remains a deeply painful and complex time for American Jews, in the years after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks and the ensuing bloodshed and suffering in Israel and Gaza, and amidst growing instability and conflict across the region. Antisemitism continues to escalate, and the current administration has made a practice of exploiting these tragedies and strategies for their political gain. 

It also continues to be a dangerous and uncertain time for LGBTQ+ people—especially transgender people—as we face growing attacks on our rights and lives from all levels of government. Against this backdrop, Keshet believes that remaining connected to each other across identities and movements is more important than ever. Yet doing so isn’t always easy. We are seeing some people and groups doubling down on positions that don’t allow for the complexity and intersections of our experiences and needs as LGBTQ+ Jews. This dynamic has left many queer Jews feeling isolated and vulnerable on multiple fronts, at a time when we need each other most. 

As an organization committed to the full equality of LGBTQ+ Jews, we know that we cannot ever separate these parts of ourselves and we fully reject homophobia, transphobia, and antisemitism. We want to help make sense of this tangled web as many of us navigate rupture, discomfort, and fear, whether in progressive political spaces and/or in our Jewish communities. 

In this moment especially, Keshet’s values guide us: 

• Justice. We are committed to equality and social justice. As Jews, we have a responsibility to fight oppression, effect change, and repair the world. We see LGBTQ+ justice as part of a broader movement for justice for all people.
• Pride. We understand pride in identity as key to feeling whole. When LGBTQ+ Jews are encouraged to live our truths and participate openly and authentically in Jewish life, the entire Jewish community is stronger.
• Human Dignity. We lead with compassion and empathy. We celebrate—and strive to help others see and celebrate—the inherent humanity, worth, and dignity of all people.
• Solidarity. We do not separate ourselves from our community. When we see others who feel isolated we strive to connect and create bridges of understanding. 

Our values underscore these truths: LGBTQ+ Jews exist and are an essential part of both Jewish and queer communities. We are committed to the liberation of LGBTQ+ people AND our liberation as Jews.

 We have heard some of the following questions in different contexts and offer these answers as tools for you and your communities.

“How has Keshet navigated the painful and complex time since October 7, 2023?”

We were horrified by the Hamas attacks on October 7 and immediately condemned them. We are deeply relieved and grateful  that every single hostage has come home, and simultaneously heartbroken that so many were killed in captivity. As the Israeli bombing of Gaza escalated and the humanitarian crisis worsened, we were heartbroken by the suffering of Palestinian civilians and the tremendous loss of life in Gaza. While grateful for the fragile ceasefire that has taken hold, we also know that violence has not ceased in Gaza, and violence at the hands of extremist Jewish settlers in the West Bank is rising. We fervently hope for a day when there is no more war or violence, a day when Israelis, Palestinians, and everyone who calls the region home can live in safety and dignity.

While Keshet does not advocate for specific international policies, we understand that events in Israel, Gaza, the West Bank, Iran, and Lebanon impact us as LGBTQ+ Jews here at home. Given the nature of our work, Keshet is skilled in providing education and training to people with a wide spectrum of perspectives. We know how to engage in difficult conversations with community members, partners, and even critics, resulting in stronger relationships and more powerful movements. In this moment of pain and division, we believe that advancing our mission is how we can most effectively help build a more just world.

Our Mission: Keshet works for the full equality of all LGBTQ Jews and our families in Jewish life. We strengthen Jewish communities. We equip Jewish organizations with the skills and knowledge to build LGBTQ-affirming communities; create spaces in which all queer Jewish youth feel seen and valued; and advance LGBTQ rights nationwide.

“What is Keshet’s response to antisemitism in general and to the rise in antisemitism around the world since October 7, 2023?”

Keshet unequivocally condemns antisemitism regardless of the source or context. We are committed to fighting antisemitism for the sake of Jewish liberation as well as part of broader movements for freedom, equality, and justice for all people. We believe in responding to antisemitism in ways that build bridges between the Jewish community and other communities rather than retreating into an isolated protective position.

As LGBTQ+ Jews, we often see similarities and intersections between anti-LGBTQ bias and antisemitism. Those connections enable Keshet to engage our non-Jewish LGBTQ+ colleagues in the fight against antisemitism as part of our shared commitment to justice.

We have been deeply shocked, saddened, and angered by expressions of antisemitism that have flared up since October 7, 2023. We condemn and consider antisemitic the minimization or denial of the Hamas attacks, and the conflation of the Israeli government’s actions with that of all Jews. Additionally, we believe that there is no justification for the antisemitic targeting of Jewish institutions, public officials, or students. 

We do not view criticism of Israel’s wars in Gaza or Iran or anywhere else, or the horrific attacks in the West Bank by extremist Jews, or the Occupation as antisemitic. For a more in-depth discussion of distinctions and overlap between anti-Zionism and antisemitism, we recommend this resource from our partner T’ruah.*

“Isn’t the current administration acting in the name of combating antisemitism?”

Many actions of the new administration are frighteningly reminiscent for Jews of our long history of persecution, which has also included scapegoating, book bans and destruction of information access, and control/confiscation of identity documents. These early phases of fascism were precursors to the Holocaust, so it is not surprising that many Jews are making these associations. 

The Trump administration’s attempts to vilify, censor, and erase LGBTQ+ identity—from federal health agency research and information, from public school curriculum, from history—raises the alarms of our historical experience. They are intended to blame a scapegoat — a dangerous strategy we know well. Relatedly, the administration’s actions to suppress free speech and unlawfully detain U.S. residents who have engaged in pro-Palestinian activism—supposedly in the name of fighting antisemitism—actually do nothing to protect Jews. As Jews, we will not stand by while our safety is used to obfuscate all of the ways this administration is harming LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, Jews, and so many others. 

And then there is the Trump administration’s implicit embrace of antisemitic rhetoric, beliefs, and behavior. This was explicitly on display at the inauguration in 2024, when Elon Musk twice made a Nazi salute. The President has also appointed multiple officials to his administration who have records of antisemitic speech and behavior. It is clear to us that none of these actions are actual attempts to address antisemitism. 

 “Why is the LGBTQ+ community antisemitic?”

Just like the Jewish community, the LGBTQ+ community is tremendously diverse, encompassing individuals from many racial, ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds, as well as political and ideological affiliations. Just as it would be inaccurate to generalize about any other large and diverse group, including Jews, it is incorrect to paint the entire LGBTQ+ community with the brush of antisemitism. Through our work at Keshet, we know that there are many LGBTQ+ non-Jews who actively work to combat antisemitism.

To be clear, we have seen acts of antisemitism by LGBTQ+ individuals and organizations. Yet it is essential to distinguish between the actions of individuals and the beliefs or attitudes of an entire community. Our experience at Keshet working with secular LGBTQ+ people and organizations is that many have shown up as allies to Jews during this time. 

For years, Keshet has worked hard to build relationships with LGBTQ+ groups both within and outside of the Jewish community. In this difficult time, we continue to invest in these connections, naming challenges, deepening allyship and partnerships, and addressing antisemitism when it arises in LGBTQ+ spaces.

“How can LGBTQ+ people support Palestine? Hamas kills LGBTQ+ people.”

We recognize and deplore that under Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, LGBTQ+ people have suffered human rights abuses, including execution. And we know that even in the face of such oppression, there are Palestinian queer activists who are working to advance LGBTQ+ safety and rights in their own communities. 

There are a wide range of political positions that come under the umbrella of “supporting Palestine.” Some queer people who hold such positions connect their commitment to Palestinian solidarity and their experiences as historically marginalized and oppressed LGBTQ+ people. Similarly, many Jews draw on their identities, values, and experiences as Jews in describing themselves as “Jews for environmental justice,” “Jews for immigration reform,” etc. No community is a monolith, and the LGBTQ+ community is no exception.

There are certainly LGBTQ+ individuals who have expressed antisemitism alongside their solidarity with Palestinians. And there are many LGBTQ+ people who support Palestinian rights, condemn Hamas, and are not antisemitic. And, there are also many LGBTQ+ people who support both Palestine and Israel, Palestinians and Israelis. We know from our own experience that one cannot make assumptions about the views and commitments of LGBTQ+ people when it comes to Israel and Palestine.

We hope for a day when all who call the land home—both Palestinians and Israelis—can live and thrive in dignity.

“How can LGBTQ+ people support Israel?”

Support for Israel is expressed in a broad range of ways by LGBTQ+ people and others: attachment to the history, land, and people; connections with Israelis who are friends and/or family members; solidarity with the Israeli LGBTQ+ community; connections with Israeli arts and culture, among others. 

It is possible, and even common, for people to support Israel while critiquing the actions of the Israeli government and opposing the Occupation. Keshet has long held relationships with our counterparts in the Israeli LGBTQ+ rights movement and in Israeli progressive communities more broadly. 

While it may feel like there are two distinct sides, the reality is that there are many LGBTQ+ people who support both Israel and Palestine, Israelis and Palestinians.

“What does the Jewish LGBTQ+ Pride flag symbolize?”

Pride flags emblazoned with a Star of David, either in the center or on the side, symbolizes queer Jewish pride and the intersections of our identities.  

At times, this flag has been a controversial flashpoint at Pride marches as some have seen it as equivalent to the flag of the State of Israel. We reject this view as well as attempts to censor its use. The Star of David has been a symbol of Jewish identity far before the State of Israel’s formation. We support LGBTQ+ Jews who want to march with this flag at Pride and believe that all should be able to display this flag publicly without fear of disruption or harassment. It is important to note that for Keshet contingents at Pride marches, we discourage participants from marching with national flags given the current political climate. 

_____

*According to T’ruah, certain acts and speech that utilize classic anti-Jewish tropes are antisemitic, such as:

• Using anti-Jewish tropes to describe Israel or Israelis
• Using the word “Zionist” as code for “Jew” or “Israeli,” or “Zionist Entity” rather than “Israel”
• Denying Jewish history
• Denying the humanity of Israelis
• Assuming that the Israeli government speaks for all Jews
• Demanding that Jews disavow Israel or Zionism

Print

Keshet envisions a world in which all LGBTQ+ Jews and our families can live with full equality, justice, and dignity.  Stay connected by joining our email list and following us on social media.

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER