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Israeli Politicians Address Gay Pride at Parade

Israeli politicians participated in numbers at Friday's Gay Pride Parade in Tel Aviv, but words are not enough and hugs have to be transformed into deeds.
A drag queen singer in heavy makeup performs in front of tens of thousands of participants, during the opening of the annual Gay Pride parade in the Mediterranean city of Tel Aviv on June 8, 2012. AFP PHOTO/JACK GUEZ        (Photo credit should read JACK GUEZ/AFP/GettyImages)
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In 2009, when Justice Minister Tzipi Livni served as chairwoman of the Kadima party and as foreign minister, her campaign managers discovered that the candidate they were canvassing for was gaining traction in the gay community. They instantly realized that such an embrace meant votes in the ballot box.

This was a win-win situation for both sides. Livni was gaining active support from a powerful group with a strong presence in the media, thereby reinforcing her image as a champion of liberal values. The gay community, for its part, was gaining a highly prominent politician, the leader of the largest party in the country (back then Kadima had 29 Knesset seats out of 120) who was also vying for the premiership.

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