2026
Pinkwashing
Israeli occupation, queer liberation, and Palestinian queer liberation in 21st century.
"Brand Israel"
The beginning of the American and Israel interest and asset entanglement
"Brand Israel" was a marketing campaign and collaboration with American marketing firms in the early 2000s to rebrand the state of Israel, aimed primarily at younger audiences. With this intital entanglement of Israeli interests and American assets, the agenda to transform perceptions of the state to be progressive, LGBTQ+ friendly, and mainly as the western center point of the middle east.
This 2004 campaign features a famous Israeli actress, a move to westernize and modernize perceptions of Israel.
The importance of the interaction between deliberate agenda and branding by western influence, and its claim as championing LGBTQ+ rights in the religion deflects from claims of genocide in Palestine. To situate a progressive state as just in their actions against a "backward" or "traditional" governing style of Palestine (as claimed by Israeli government).
“certain domesticated bodies provide ammunition to reinforce nationalist projects”
Puar, 2023
'“To its proponents, that oppression can’t coexist with Israel’s gay bars and pride parades, so it must not exist at all” (Kabalwi, 2024).
- This image of an Israeli soldier holding a pride flag, surrounded by the rubble of what used to be people's everyday lives, the issue of subjecting queer Palestinians to violence at the hands of their queer Israeli counterparts.
- Israeli media quickly promoted this message and image, and the soldier said that they viewed the invasion in Gaza as a way to bring gay rights to the region. This backward idea is one of the foundational pillars of the pinkwashing employed by Israel; they are freeing queer people from an oppressive government, but freedom through murder and destruction.
Queer liberation is the liberation of all people
Queer liberation and palestinian liberation
- The Palestinian liberation and queer liberation need to viewed as inextricably linked, stated by Dr. Sa'ed Atshan a Palestinian born professor, “ It's very dangerous to pathologize Palestinian society as uniquely homophobic or that homophobia is endemic to the society without this broader context, as well as without understanding the ways that life under brutal military occupation exacerbates homophobia within Palestinian society as well”(2023).
Destruction will never bring peace
The falsehoods perpetuated by the Israeli state to claim victory in "freeing" queer palestinians from persecution.
Progressive yet violent
Displacement and apartheid have no place in queer politics
Framing Tel Aviv as a LBGTQ+ safe haven is a method of propaganda.
Collective cognitive dissonance of violence against non-western nations.
Invasion acting as furthered colonial violence
References
Amoor, Izat El. "Queerness, Genocide, and International Law – A Look at Palestine." European Center for Populism Studies, 28 Sept. 2025, www.populismstudies.org/queerness-genocide-and-international-law-a-look-at-palestine/. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026. Kablawi, Rami. "Pinkwashing 101: How Israel Turned Gay Pride into an Occasion for Oppression." The Forge, 21 June 2024, forgeorganizing.org/article/pinkwashing-101-how-israel-turned-gay-pride-occasion-oppression/. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026. Navabi, Armin. "'Queer for Palestine' and the Death of Irony." Queer Majority, 17 Oct. 2023, www.queermajority.com/essays-all/queers-for-palestine-and-the-death-of-irony. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026. "Rainbow genocide: How Israel uses 'pinkwashing' to terrorize Palestinians." Prism, edited by Simi Kadirgamar, 1 Oct. 2025, prismreports.org/2025/10/01/israel-pinkwashing-palestinians-gaza/. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
Pinkwashing in Palestine: Destruction for Peace
fiona ryan
Created on March 18, 2026
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Transcript
2026
Pinkwashing
Israeli occupation, queer liberation, and Palestinian queer liberation in 21st century.
"Brand Israel"
The beginning of the American and Israel interest and asset entanglement
"Brand Israel" was a marketing campaign and collaboration with American marketing firms in the early 2000s to rebrand the state of Israel, aimed primarily at younger audiences. With this intital entanglement of Israeli interests and American assets, the agenda to transform perceptions of the state to be progressive, LGBTQ+ friendly, and mainly as the western center point of the middle east.
This 2004 campaign features a famous Israeli actress, a move to westernize and modernize perceptions of Israel.
The importance of the interaction between deliberate agenda and branding by western influence, and its claim as championing LGBTQ+ rights in the religion deflects from claims of genocide in Palestine. To situate a progressive state as just in their actions against a "backward" or "traditional" governing style of Palestine (as claimed by Israeli government).
“certain domesticated bodies provide ammunition to reinforce nationalist projects”
Puar, 2023
'“To its proponents, that oppression can’t coexist with Israel’s gay bars and pride parades, so it must not exist at all” (Kabalwi, 2024).
Queer liberation is the liberation of all people
Queer liberation and palestinian liberation
Destruction will never bring peace
The falsehoods perpetuated by the Israeli state to claim victory in "freeing" queer palestinians from persecution.
Progressive yet violent
Displacement and apartheid have no place in queer politics
Framing Tel Aviv as a LBGTQ+ safe haven is a method of propaganda.
Collective cognitive dissonance of violence against non-western nations.
Invasion acting as furthered colonial violence
References
Amoor, Izat El. "Queerness, Genocide, and International Law – A Look at Palestine." European Center for Populism Studies, 28 Sept. 2025, www.populismstudies.org/queerness-genocide-and-international-law-a-look-at-palestine/. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026. Kablawi, Rami. "Pinkwashing 101: How Israel Turned Gay Pride into an Occasion for Oppression." The Forge, 21 June 2024, forgeorganizing.org/article/pinkwashing-101-how-israel-turned-gay-pride-occasion-oppression/. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026. Navabi, Armin. "'Queer for Palestine' and the Death of Irony." Queer Majority, 17 Oct. 2023, www.queermajority.com/essays-all/queers-for-palestine-and-the-death-of-irony. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026. "Rainbow genocide: How Israel uses 'pinkwashing' to terrorize Palestinians." Prism, edited by Simi Kadirgamar, 1 Oct. 2025, prismreports.org/2025/10/01/israel-pinkwashing-palestinians-gaza/. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.