A gunman sprayed automatic fire at an Israeli club for gay teenagers on Saturday, killing two people and wounding at least eight, police and witnesses said. The shooting spree in central Tel Aviv set off a citywide security clampdown, reviving memories of Palestinian attacks that have ebbed in recent years. But a police spokesman said that the incident was “criminal, rather than nationalistic.”
Citing witnesses, Israeli television said a black-clad, masked gunman stormed into the Tel Aviv Gay and Lesbian Association building and opened fire in a basement room where teenage homosexuals were holding a weekly support group.
Most of the casualties were minors, the spokesman said, adding that the assailant was believed to have used an automatic weapon such as an M-16 rifle. “This is an unprecedented event for Israel and for the community,” association director May Pamel told Channel 10 TV. “We have joined the roster of ‘civilised’ countries where hatred is the standard.”
"I want to condemn the shocking murder," said Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, joining a chorus of outrage from across the country's political and social spectrum. "I want to say to the citizens of Israel: we are a democratic and tolerant country and we must respect every person for who he is."
The unprecedented attack has sent shockwaves in the country as a whole where the homosexual population enjoys civil liberties and a general sense of tolerance. Homosexual soldiers serve openly in the army. Tel Aviv in particular is known for it's embrace of the community, a city Israeli tourism officials have been marketing as an international homosexual travel destination because for its openness and vibrant culture.
Tel Aviv police chief Shachar Ayalon stopped short of branding the shooting a hate crime remarks to reporters. Reuters
