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Middle East - gay club attack
Two shot dead outside Israeli gay centre
Article published on the 2009-08-02 Latest update 2009-08-04 11:36 TU
Israelis hold a gay pride flag near the scene of the shooting i
(Photo: Reuters)
A masked, black-clad gunman killed people and wounded 11 others when he fired an automatic weapon at a queue outside a centre for gay youths in Tel Aviv on Saturday evening.
A young man and a teenage girl were killed on the spot and three of the victims are reported to be seriously wounded.
The victims have been identified as Liz Tarabushi, 17, and Yaniv Katz, 26.
Thousands of people demonstrated against the shooting in the Israeli capital overnight, while officials and gay rights campaigners said they believed the crime was homophobic.
"All indications point that this was a criminal incident and not a terror attack, which was most likely deliberately directed against the gay and lesbian community," police spokesperson Micky Rosenfeld told the AFP news agency. Earlier the police said they could not be sure of the motive because the centre had received no threats.
In the past swastikas have been painted at the entrance to the centre.
Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch said he believed the attack was homophobic and promised the police would do everything possible to arrest the gunman, according to military radio.
Tel Aviv mayor Ron Huldai also condemned the attacks and vowed to continue to "offer the gay community a warm house in our city and fight for everyone's right to live according to his faith and beliefs".
Gay rights campaigners vowed to defend themselves.
"Our community won't let itself be frightened, it will stand up to those who threaten it with heads held high and with pride, we will respond to war with war," said left-wing opposition Meretz MP Nitzan Horowitz.
"It is not surprising that such a crime can be committed, given the incitement of hatred against the homosexual community," Tel Aviv gay and lesbian campaigner, Mai Pelem, told reporters.
Ultra-orthodox Jews consider homosexuality and "abomination", although Israel repealed a ban on consensual same-sex acts in 1988.
In 2005 and ultra-Orthodox Jew stabbed three people on a gay pride parade. He was later sentenced to 12 years in prison.
 Two killed in attack on Tel Aviv gay centre |
