Current sectionIsrael NewsIsraeli CultureShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeBritish officials observe a rescue drill on a Tel Aviv beach in the 1930s. The city had several well-known meeting spots where soldiers sought sexual encounters. Credit: Zvi Oron (Orushkes)British officers, archaeologists and administrators who came to Palestine during the first half of the last century were drawn not only by its historical or religious past, but by fantasies of erotic freedom in the 'Orient'Ofri Ilany10:01 AM • May 16 2026 IDTWhen American journalist John Roy Carlson visited Gaza City in April 1948, one phenomenon immediately struck him: The city seemed to throb with gay activity. And that turned him off.Loading...Click the alert icon to follow topics:ZionismGay Middle EastLGBTQJerusalemIsrael-PalestineCommentsLoading...In the NewsIn the News: Israel-Iran Live UpdatesTrump-IranIsrael ElectionsJerusalem DayGaza FlotillaEurovisionIsrael-NYTHaQuizHaaretz Podcast'Fantasies of a Young Arab Lover': The Secret Gay Scene of Mandatory PalestineCould Brain-drain Leave Israel Brain-dead?Why Asking 'Are You a Zionist?' Is No Longer RelevantIn the Village Where a Body Was Exhumed at Settlers' Orders, Shock RemainsReport: U.S. and Israel in 'Intense Preparations' to Renew Strikes Against IranRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIThe Hasidic Jews Behind Florida's Giant Golden Trump StatueStarlink Users, Beware – Israeli Tech Can Reveal Your IdentityIt Wasn't Just Revenge That Israel Was After in GazaIsraeli Artists Slam Venice Biennale Participation: 'Again, Israel as a Victim'Trump Collides With Reality in Latest Iran StandoffIsraeli Teens Storm Muslim Quarter in Old City, Haaretz Reporter Attacked