Somerset – Former Israeli minister Amir Ohana was sworn in today as the new speaker of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, following the request of newly appointed PM Benjamin Netanyahu.
Ohana’s confirmation saw him make history today as the first openly gay parliamentarian speaker in Israel.
The new speaker previously served as a minister in replacement of long-leading Likud Party leader Silvan Shalom in 2015. Ohana’s appointment caused upset because of his sexuality, reuslting in other parliamentarians walking out in an act of protest.
Israel recognizes gay marriage on the condition that the official ceremony is carried out abroad.
Ohana has always expressed pride regarding his sexual orientation. “I am here with everything that I am – what I chose to be and what I did not choose – I am proud of both,” the Jerusalem Post recently quoted him as saying.
Since 2015 Ohana has held several political positions such as his role in 2019 as justice minister in the Netanyahu- led government. In addition, he was appointed as minister of internal security from 2020-2021.
Ohana has always championed the LGBTQ+ community. He said in one of his statements that the Israeli parliament represents “all citizens of Israel — Jews, Arabs, Druze, Circassians, secular, religious, ultra-Orthodox, Sephardic, straight, Ashkenazi, LGBT.”
The new parliament speaker is of Moroccan descent as his parents were immigrants who traveled from Morocco in the 1950s.
In a speech paying homage to his Moroccan immigrant roots, he said: “If any young boy or girl is watching this ceremony, let them know that no matter who they are or where they come from, I want to tell them that you have the means to get where you want to go.”
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