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Pride Flag at U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv Incites Fury
The decision by Daniel Shapiro, the American ambassador to Israel, to fly a rainbow flag at the embassy in Tel Aviv received very mixed reviews.
The embassy displayed a picture of the flags on their Facebook page, with Shapiro writing, “For the first time in history, the US Embassy in Tel Aviv has raised the Pride flag together with our American flag. We are proud to join with the municipality of Tel Aviv-Yafo and its residents in celebrating LGBT Pride Week.”
Unsurprisingly, many took offense: “This is inappropriate, shameful, and embarrassing. Assuredly, this is not the voice of Americans but rather that of a disgraceful administration,” one commenter wrote."This flag being hoisted next to the American flag is inappropriate. How is this 'gay pride flag' representative of all Americans? The answer is, it is not! This flag needs to come down," another wrote.
Many defended the embassy's support: "The Pride flag represents Freedom and Equality for all people not just whites and christians."
Shapiro stood by his decision to raise the flag, which flew in honor of Tel Aviv's Pride event this week. The embassy later posted a message of congratulations to Pride participants, with a picture of Shapiro marching in the city's Pride parade.
