LGBTQ+ Palestinians can request asylum in Israel, court rules

LGBTQ+ Palestinians in danger due to their sexual orientation can request asylum in Israel, the Tel Aviv District Court for Administrative Affairs ruled on Sunday, according to KAN news.

Judge Michal Agmon-Gonen approved the appeal of a Palestinian from the West Bank who had been rejected by the Population Authority due to his being Palestinian. The Population Authority's position is that all Palestinians are not subject to the UN's Refugee Convention, and, therefore, Israel is not obligated to provide asylum to any Palestinians.

The Palestinian who filed the appeal has been living in Israel since 2015 and claims that his life is at risk in the Palestinian territories due to his sexual identity. In the appeal, the Palestinian described how he was pushed into coming out to his parents after he refused to marry the woman they had chosen for him and how his father responded by attacking him and calling for additional relatives to assault him as well.

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The Aguda - The Association for LGBTQ Equality in Israel expressed outrage at Arbel's decision to appeal the ruling, stating that this decision "not only contradicts the State of Israel's duty as a democratic state to stand by those who are persecuted because of their identity, but also contradicts Israel's efforts to present itself around the world as an LGBTQ-friendly country during the war."

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