The swearing-in ceremony of the first openly homosexual Likud Knesset member, Amir Ohana, could have augured welcome progress toward full equality for the gay community. Ohana, who replaced newly resigned Knesset member Silvan Shalom on Dec. 28, was accorded a particularly warm personal welcome by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who went out of his way to ply him with compliments. In an unusual move, the prime minister even greeted Ohana from the Knesset podium, praising his work, stressing the unique responsibility he bears and taking pride in the ruling party choosing Ohana from among its ranks.
The new legislator was accorded a similar welcome by all the Likud's Knesset members and ministers, who crowded around to embrace him and slap his shoulders after he finished speaking. Leftist and centrist lawmakers also offered kind words, creating a sense of a momentous occasion in Israeli politics.
