Score = Legal 53/60 + Scene 27/40 = 80/100
Israel ranks #22 of 208 countries and territories in the GayOut Gay Travel Index 2026, with a composite score of 80/100 — a legal safety component of 53/60 and a scene score of 27/40. Updated 2026-08-17 · release 2026.3.
| Criminalization | Legal |
|---|---|
| Partnership | ● Partial (marriage equality) |
| Anti-discrimination | ● Yes |
| Gender recognition | Legal route — recognition possible via medical or administrative process |
| Enforcement reality | Protective — the state actively protects LGBTQ+ people |
Research note: Equaldex: committee route no surgery; state protections — GayOut Index 2026.3 legal research (ILGA World / Human Dignity Trust / Rainbow Europe / Equaldex).
Fulfilment per component (100 = maximum). Weights: criminalisation 35% · partnership 20% · enforcement 20% · anti-discrimination 15% · gender recognition 10%.
| LGBTQ+ venues listed | 177 |
|---|---|
| Dedicated gay bars | 7 |
| Gay saunas | 3 |
| Gay bars per million | 0.71 |
| Saunas per million | 0.30 |
| Events per million | 1.11 |
| Cities with a scene | 10 |
| Pride parades | 6 |
| Queer film festivals | 0 |
| Coverage grade | A |
| Scene score | 27/40 (raw scene index 68/100) |
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177 venues tracked in the frozen 2026.3 dataset (all categories) · 66 browsable venue pages in the live directory today.
Israel is rated Some caution on the GayOut Gay Travel Index 2026, scoring 80/100 overall with a legal safety component of 53/60. On enforcement reality, the state actively protects LGBTQ+ people.
Partially. Israel recognizes some form of same-sex partnership but not full marriage equality. Overall legal status: Legal.
Yes. GayOut lists 177 LGBTQ+ venues in Israel, including 7 dedicated gay bars, across 10 cities with a scene, and tracks 6 Pride parades there.
Tel Aviv-Yafo has the largest documented LGBTQ+ scene in Israel, with 40 venues listed in the GayOut directory, followed by Eilat (6 venues).
GayOut currently lists 7 dedicated gay bars and 3 gay saunas in Israel, and tracks 6 Pride parades there. Counts exclude venues that are merely gay-friendly.