(JTA) — An evangelical church in Miami canceled an event honoring Israel after the local Israeli consul general participated in a parade in support of the LGBT community.
Consul General Lior Hayat and other staff from the diplomatic mission carried Israeli flags and rainbow flags bearing a Star of David at the pride parade in early April, Haaretz reported. They posted photos on the diplomatic mission’s Twitter feed.
Pastor Alberto Delgado later canceled the Israel event in early May at his Alpha and Omega Church in Miami, Israel’s Foreign Ministry confirmed to Haaretz.
The pastor “was worried that the Israeli participation in the pride parade will hurt the support for Israel within his community (especially in light of how close the two events were to each other), and decided to hold the event at a later date,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, Haaretz reported.
“The consul general met with the pastor and clarified that the consulate represents all Israeli citizens and works with different constituencies. The pastor decided to hold the event toward the end of 2019, around the time that a group from his church is scheduled to visit in Israel.”
Since the cancellation, the pastor attended an Israel Independence Day event at the consulate, according to the report.
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