Israel has cancelled Tel Aviv Pride, one of the region’s largest Pride events, fearing possible retaliation for
Project Rising Lion, Israel’s Thursday night military offensive, which targeted Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure and killed Iran’s highest-ranking military officer, the head of its elite Revolutionary Guards Corps, and its air force and a former national security chief.

Transgender Republican millionaire Caitlyn Jenner had planned on attending the Pride event as a distinguished guest of honor to help improve the country’s global perception. Now, she’s expressing solidarity with the Israeli people.

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Israel used 200 fighter jets to attack Iran on Thursday night. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attacks may continue for many days. In response, Iran launched over 100 drones toward Israel, but the country claimed to have intercepted all the drones. Donald Trump denied any involvement with Israel’s attack but expressed support for it, urging Iran to end its nuclear ambitions.

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Prior to Thursday night’s attack, Israel and Iran had conducted most of their recent combat through covert operations, cyber attacks, and occasional targeted strikes, CNN reported. Though last year, Iran launched its largest-ever missile attack on Israel in retaliation for the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and others, the publication noted.

Israel feared further retaliation might endanger the 150,000 to 250,000 attendees of its annual Tel Aviv Pride event, and so government officials cancelled the event (which was set to begin on Friday).

Tel Aviv Pride organizers had invited Jenner as a guest of honor. She addressed the media on Wednesday at the David Intercontinental Hotel in Tel Aviv just hours after arriving, The Jerusalem Post reported.

“The Israeli people are very open-minded. They’re friendly, they’re, you know, great for the LGBT community, and nobody knows it,” she told the press. “I think you guys have a marketing problem because maybe, maybe I can come out and help market this a little bit.”

“I think you guys have a marketing problem because maybe, maybe I can come out and help market this a little bit,” she added.

In a June 10 post, Jenner wrote, “I am excited to share that I will be in Israel this week. I’m visiting the resilient people of Israel as the nation continues to recover and restore its place in the Middle East. Stay tuned!”

However, in a post published Thursday, Jenner shared an image of herself pressing her hands and forehead against the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem and wrote, “My heart is here, with the beautiful people, in @Israel.”

Pro-Palestinian LGBTQ+ activists have long protested Israel‘s ongoing military actions in Gaza since the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas and other militants that killed 1,200 Israeli civilians. Israel has been accused of committing genocide againstthe Palestinian people by targeting civilian and refugee sites, critical infrastructure, as well as food and medical aid workers.

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