Several thousand gays and their supporters rallied in Jerusalem today under heavy security as part of a festival that has sparked religious protests and highlighted deep divisions in Israeli society.
Gays, lesbians and civil rights activists, many waving rainbow flags that represent gay pride, passed through tight police security checks to enter a stadium where the rally was taking place.
Organisers had planned a gay pride street parade but cancelled it after police said they needed to increase security to guard against threatened Palestinian attacks following a deadly Israeli army shelling attack in Gaza this week.
The move to hold the rally in the Givat Ram stadium came after Palestinian vows to revenge Israel's shelling of a northern Gaza town on Wednesday, which killed 18 civilians. Israel said the carnage was the result of a "technical failure" by Israeli artillery.
Ultra-orthodox Jews had also threatened to disrupt the march through the holy city. There have been nightly protests in Jerusalem's religious neighbourhoods against the parade. Ultra-orthodox Jews view homosexuality as an abomination.
A police spokesman said 3,000 police were securing the event and that ultra-orthodox Jews and other protesters would not be allowed in to the stadium, he added.
Gay pride festivals have been held each year in Jerusalem since 2001, but this year's was billed as being bigger and better, causing greater outrage than before.