Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday censured his new education minister for promoting the use of gay 'conversion therapy' during a television interview.

Rafi Peretz, who leads a small far-right religious party, said he supports the controversial technique. Conversion therapy can often involve hormonal treatment, aversive techniques and religious/spiritual peer pressure.

Asked by his Channel 12 interviewer if he believed it was possible to "convert" homosexuals, he responded: "I think it is possible. I am deeply familiar with the subject of education."

Read more: Gay 'conversion therapy' — trauma for LGBTQ teens

Peretz, a former chief rabbi in the Israeli military, also admitted that he had performed the therapy.

He described how a student approached him and told him he was gay. Peretz said he then sought to help him "understand himself well and then decide on his own."

Brigadier-General Rafi Peretz, a former chief rabbi in the Israeli military, heads the far-right Jewish Home party

Netanyahu swiftly condemned the comments, saying that "Peretz's remarks about the LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender] community are unacceptable to me and do not reflect the stance of the government I lead."

"I spoke this evening with Rabbi Rafi Peretz, who clarified his comments and emphasized that the Israeli education system will continue to accept all the children of Israel, whoever they are, regardless of sexual orientation," the PM tweeted.

'Comments taken out of context'

Peretz said in a Facebook post on Sunday that his comments had been distorted for political purposes.

Read more: Israelis protest surrogacy law that excludes single men and gay couples

Hundreds of people demonstrated in Tel Aviv on Sunday, calling on Peretz to resign.

Etai Pinkas-Arad, a Tel Aviv city councilor in charge of LGBT affairs, called for Peretz to be fired.

He "shouldn't be holding this position any longer, or relevant position in the future," he said.

Most mainstream mental health professionals reject the idea of gay conversion therapy as scientifically dubious and even harmful. Several countries have passed laws to ban the procedure. Germany, where there are an estimated 1,000 cases of the therapy every year, is also considering a ban.

Read more: Germany: Gay conversion 'therapy' ban presented

Peretz also caused outrage earlier this month over reported comments to a Cabinet meeting.

Israel's Channel 13 reported that he told ministers Jewish intermarriage and assimilation, particularly in North America, were like a "second Holocaust."

Tel Aviv Pride brings hundreds of thousands to the streets Hundreds of thousands strong Around 250,000 people took part in Tel Aviv's pride parade on Friday, making it far and away the biggest LGBT+ event in the Middle East. Participants wound their way through downtown Tel Aviv to the beachfront to see 2018 Eurovision Song Contest winner Netta Barzilai perform.

Tel Aviv Pride brings hundreds of thousands to the streets Strides in tolerance Israel is known for being the most LGBT+ tolerant country in the region. Last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the appointment of the country's first openly gay cabinet minister, Justice Minister Amir Ohana.

Tel Aviv Pride brings hundreds of thousands to the streets 'We will continue to fight' "We have all earned the right to raise our voices, to come here and say that after the long journey we have travelled, there is still much to do," Mayor of Tel Aviv Ron Huldai told the crowd. "I promise you that we will not give up and that we will continue to fight until we see full equality in the state of Israel."

Tel Aviv Pride brings hundreds of thousands to the streets Hurdles remain Despite increasing levels of acceptance, the Israeli LGBT+ community still faces a lot of legal barriers that straight citizens do not face. Same-sex marriage remains banned and gay couples have significant legal hurdles to overcome if they want to adopt children.

Tel Aviv Pride brings hundreds of thousands to the streets Police on the alert Hundreds of police were on duty on Friday to ward off any possibility of hate-driven violence. Four years ago, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish man stabbed a 16-year-old girl to death at a pride festival in Jerusalem.

Tel Aviv Pride brings hundreds of thousands to the streets Balmy and bright The weather in Tel Aviv on Friday was balmy and clear, adding to the beach party atmosphere. Mayor Huldai said that "the Tel Aviv Pride parade is not just a celebration, but an important declaration of support and an opportunity to promote equal rights for all." Author: Elizabeth Schumacher



mm/se (AFP, AP, dpa)

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