Signs reading “Queers for Palestine” were prominently displayed during the event, prompting ridicule online and a sarcastic remark from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who compared the slogan to “chickens for KFC.”
In response to the march’s policies, some former members of the organizing committee have launched a separate event, “Shalom Dyke,” intended as an inclusive space for Jewish lesbians. Among them was Nate Shalev, who served on the committee for a decade before stepping down, citing concerns that Jewish and Israeli participants were being marginalized.
This year’s move is expected to reignite tensions within parts of the LGBTQ and Jewish communities. Other Dyke Marches in the United States have faced similar criticism. In 2017, organizers in Chicago expelled participants carrying rainbow flags adorned with the Star of David. In 2019, the Washington, D.C. Dyke March barred Israeli and American flags while permitting Palestinian ones.
New York organizers have defended the decision, rejecting allegations of antisemitism. “The march has always been political,” they said in a statement. “We are committed to Palestinian liberation just as we are to LGBTQ rights.”
