A spectrum of identity, resilience and hope

Last month, I returned home from Israel as part of a delegation of queer Australians. Organised by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the trip invited mostly non-Jewish participants to experience the country’s remarkable diversity, engage with local changemakers, and experience the reality of a country that is chronically misunderstood. Our experience was meant to culminate in Tel Aviv Pride – the only such celebration in the Middle East.

We never made it to the parade.

Instead, we spent our last nights in bomb shelters, woken by sirens and missile alerts, before being evacuated by the Israeli government. And in those terrifying days spent in shelters, we learnt more about unity, identity and resilience than we ever could from a parade.

The program officially began in Jerusalem, but the first classroom was the drive from the airport. Looking out the window, first-time visitors were struck by the vibrant ethnic and cultural diversity on the streets. Within minutes, the simplistic and harmful portrayal of Israel as a “white ethno-state” began to crumble.

In Jerusalem, we walked through ancient streets layered with history and present-day tension. The functional coexistence of secular Jews, ultra-Orthodox communities, Muslims, Christians, and Armenians was undeniable. In that sacred and complex place, witnessing such everyday multiculturalism made it all the more difficult to reconcile the divisions and lack of social cohesion we see back home.