As the victims of Saturday’s shooting at a gay youth centre in Israel are laid to rest, the hunt goes on for the gunman who killed them.

A young woman aged 17 and a 26-year-old man died in the attack. While their loved ones grieve, leaders of the homosexual community have denounced what they call a hate crime. In Tel Avi, where the murders took place, opposition leader Tzipi Livni joined hundreds of people at a rally. She said the traumatic event should be a turning point, giving strength to young people who want to “come out” to their parents. The Israeli government has ordered the police to do all it can to bring the gunman to justice. But some have their doubts. “My concern is whether the authorities will do enough to catch the culprit and protect people in this country,” said one demonstrator. Outside cosmopolitan Tel Aviv, open homosexuality is less welcome in conservative areas of Israel. The ultra-Orthodox Shas party, often critical of the gay community, has publicly condemned the shooting.More about: Funerals, Gay rights, Human Rights, Israel

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