A coalition of evangelical Christians and orthodox Jews are demanding that Jerusalem cancels its World Pride event. However, the mayor of city has said that he has no way of stopping the gay celebration.

 

"If they think they can party here in this city and carry out this provocation without hindrance, I think the police will be kept busy dealing with demonstrations," ultra-Orthodox lawmaker Nissim Zeev told a news conference,

 

"With demonstrations we never know how they end up, we know how they begin. Residents here are enraged. Everything should be done to stop this (event) and not cause people to break the law."

 

California pastor Leo Giovinetti has compared the event to the biblical story of Sodom and Gomorra and said that it could bring divine retribution upon Jerusalem,

"We did not come here because we hate homosexuals," he told the Associated Press.

 

"But when they said, 'I'm coming to your house and I'm going to spit on your mother, what are you going to do about it?' In order to be a good son I'm going to say, 'Mom, that's not right and I'm going to fight it.'"

 

"We are convinced that it is no accident that the last parade was held in Rome and that today Jerusalem is being targeted. Clearly the group's agenda is to create a provocation and thus offend religious sensibilities," he said.

Organizers of the festival have said that they want World Pride to promote coexistence.

 

"The holiness of Jerusalem does not come from manipulating religion to keep people away. Jerusalem's holiness comes from it being a city that can bring together all kinds of people," said Hagai El-Ad, the director of Open House who has previously organized Pride events in the city.

 

World Pride takes place every five years and was last held in Rome.

Jerusalem WorldPride: Love without Borders
18-28 August 2005
www.worldpride.net