Rainbow washing is the allegation that Israel uses the fact that it is the most gay-friendly country in the Middle East to whitewash its alleged negative human rights record.

There is no question that Israel is the most liberal country in the Middle East. There is a significant LGBTQ+ population in Israel, particularly in Tel Aviv. Tel Aviv is also the home of many LGBTQ+ Palestinians, who have fled Gaza and the West Bank to live openly in Israel. Every year, Israel hosts one of the largest gay–pride parades in the world. Although Jewish customs and practices do not traditionally accommodate homosexuality, Israel is becoming increasingly open to the LGBTQ+ community, and has recently made it legal for gay couples to adopt.

Israel’s commitment to gay rights is born out of a genuine commitment to pluralism and diversity, and to the rights of its people. It has every right to be proud of these commitments. It is nonsensical to complain that Israel is too open towards some groups, or that its tolerance for one minority somehow comes at the expense of another.