Justice Minister Yaacov Shimshon Shapiro told the Knesset yesterday that he favored a bill to rescind the law against homosexual acts between consenting male adults. The bill was introduced by Uri Avnery, of the Haolem Hazeh faction. Shapiro noted that the existing law is never enforced but as long as it is on the books it instills a “nagging fear of prosecution” on the part of male homosexuals who are often afraid to call the police when they are victims of certain offenses. The Justice Minister pointed out further that female homosexual acts are not forbidden by law.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
