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The column drew an angry rebuke from James Kirchick, a contributing editor at The New Republic.Kirchick, who is gay, accused Schulman and her supporters of having an "ulterior agenda.""So consumed are they by hatred of Israel that they are willing to distort the truth about the horriblerepression of homosexuals in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. If there's any cleaning of dirty laundry goingon here, it is Schulman's whitewashing the plight of Palestinian gays," he wrote in the online magazineTablet.Tel Aviv has in fact become a haven for homosexual Palestinians, who can face ostracism or persecutionat home in the West Bank, as well as ultra‐Orthodox Jews, who escaped their repressive homes for thefreedom of the big city.Behind its image of a society struggling with religious coercion and the constant threat of war, Israel isone of the world's most progressive countries in terms of gay rights.Gays serve openly in Israel's military and parliament, and the Supreme Court has granted gays a varietyof family rights such as inheritance and survivors' benefits.Israel is the first country to feature a same‐sex duo on its version of the television competition "Dancingwith the Stars" and gays, lesbians and even a transsexual are among the country's most popularmusicians and actors.Officially, there is no gay marriage in Israel primarily because there is no civil marriage. All weddingsmust be done through the Jewish rabbinate, which considers homosexuality a sin and a violation ofJewish law. But the state recognizes same‐sex couples who marry abroad.Gay adoption is officially illegal but couples can get around the law and surrogacy or adopting abroad isan option for many same‐sex couples. The partner of a parent can adopt the child of his or her partner.Aeyal Gross, a law professor at Tel Aviv University, noted the huge strides made in Israeli gay rights. Buthe also accused the government of "co‐opting" the gay community to deflect attention away fromviolations against Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and African migrants who seek refuge inthe Jewish state."The more Israel brands itself as a liberal democracy, the less pressure will be on it internationally,"Gross said. "If you care about gay rights, then you should also care when the rights of others areabused."Such concerns seem far from the minds of visitors in Tel Aviv. The city holds a festive annual gay parade,rainbow flags are often seen flying from apartment windows and it has a community center for gays.The city was recently recognized by readers of the travel website GayCities and American Airlinescustomers as "Best Gay City of 2011," ahead of New York, Toronto and London. The competition saidthe "gay capital of the Middle East is exotic and welcoming with a Mediterranean c'est‐la‐vie attitude."Dennis Muller, a 22‐year‐old tourist from Berlin, agreed.Page 48 of 161