REPORT: Palestinian Authority Bans LGBT Activist Group As “Harmful To Higher Values And Ideals Of Society”

The Jerusalem Post reports:

The Palestinian Authority has banned members of the Palestinian LGBTQ community from carrying out any activities in the West Bank. The ban came after the grassroots group Al-Qaws for Sexual & Gender Diversity in Palestinian Society, (Arabic for the bow), which engages and supports Palestinians who identify as LGBTQ, was planning to hold a gathering for its members in Nablus at the end of this month. The group operates both in the West Bank and among Arab-Israelis.

Explaining the decision to ban the LGBTQ group from operating in PA-controlled areas, Luay Zreikat, spokesperson for the PA Police, said that such activities are “harmful to the higher values and ideals of Palestinian society.” Zreikat said that the group’s activities were completely “unrelated to religions and Palestinian traditions and customs, especially in the city of Nablus.”

According to the above-linked report, Zreikat has urged Palestinians to report any person associated with the group to the police.