Hazon, a hardline national-religious organization that campaigns against reform Jews and the LGBTQ+ community, began publishing posts on Facebook in January after an over 6-month silence. The anti-LGBTQ+ Noam party, founded by leaders from Hazon, has also strengthened activism operations in recent weeks.
The return began with an update of the organization's Facebook cover picture, followed by a post responding to a decision by the Jerusalem District Court to allow the publication of signs by the Hazon organization with homophobic messages. The post consisted of a screenshot of a news story reporting the decision and the words "sanity won."
After the court decision, Hazon began a new fundraising campaign aimed at placing billboards and signs reading, "A father and a mother = a family. The courage to be normal." The organization is also handing out signs to hang up at home. Supporters of the organization can also download a frame for their Facebook profile reading, "A father and a mother = a family" in Hebrew.
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On Monday, Hazon shared a video on Facebook from the Democratic caucus in Iowa last week showing a Democratic voter expressing shock and disgust after she learned that Pete Buttigieg, the nominee she voted for, was married to a man. The Facebook post read, "A normal woman in America."
Hazon entered the public eye last year after the organization displayed a large banner on a hotel near the entrance to Jerusalem reading, "A father and a mother = a family. The courage to be normal." The banner quickly sparked outrage from the Israeli LGBTQ+ community. The Association for LGBTQ Equality in Israel (known as the Agudah) contacted the hotel quickly and the banner was removed.
This banner was part of a much larger campaign started by Hazon, a movement that describes itself as dedicated to "returning the Jewish character to the national agenda in Israel." The campaign was centered on using the time before the election to pressure politicians to agree to a religious Jewish agenda for the State.
The campaign targeted a variety of topics, including work and public transport on Shabbat, the Women of the Wall movement, and the silencing of right-wing and religious movements. Hazon described all of these things as "not normal" in almost all of its publications.
A large portion of Hazon's campaigns has been aimed at the issue of same-sex couples and families. The campaigns consist of an aggressive social media, digital, and paper-media effort.
Rabbi Dror Aryeh, one of the leaders in the movement, also helped found the Noam party, a hard-line right-wing religious Zionist party founded to combat the acceptance of LGBTQ+ people and families.
The party set up booths around the country manned by activists handing out pamphlets explaining Noam’s plan to make Israel “a normal nation” with anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-reform movement slogans.
Noam planned on running in the Knesset elections in September, but dropped out shortly before election day. The party announced last month that it would not run in the elections in March, but has still been conducting conferences and recruiting supporters in preparation for future elections. The party's Facebook account has also been active in recent weeks.
"There is a tangible need to form a substantial force, real and political, that will act firmly to bring the State of Israel back on its healthy and natural track," said a group of rabbis from the Har Hamor Yeshiva, according to Arutz Sheva. The head of the Ateret Kohanim Yeshiva and former rabbi of the town of Beit El, Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, the head of the Mitzpe Ramon Yeshiva, Rabbi Tzvi Kustiner, and the head of the Netivot Yeshiva, Rabbi Yeshayahu Doron, have pledged support for the Noam party.
