Tel Aviv, June 7: Tel Aviv's annual gay pride parade is kicking off with floats and rainbow flags fluttering across the city.
Ten of thousands are participating in Friday's parade in one of the most gay-friendly cities in the world. Politicians from an array of Israeli parties are expected to march alongside drag queens.
The parade comes after Israeli police made arrests this week in connection with the killing of two people at a gay youth centre in Tel Aviv four years ago. Police said they were no longer treating the incident as a hate crime.
Tel Aviv is one of the few places in the Middle East where gays feel free to walk hand-in-hand and kiss in public. It has been praised as one of the world's best destinations for gay travel.