15 Reasons to Visit Israel's Most Diverse City, From Elska Magazine

Elska Magazine -- the bimonthly gay photography, culture, and travel publication -- has set its newest edition in Israel's northern metropolis Haifa. The Elska team photographed members of the gay community throughout their city and in their homes, then published the images along with personal stories from each.

"We had more requests to do an issue in Israel than anywhere else," says Elska editor Liam Campbell, "though I'm certain most expected us to go to the huge gay hub that is Tel Aviv. However, it was important, especially in a politically sensitive place like Israel, that we be able to show diversity. Haifa is known for being the most mixed and normalised city in the country, with Jews and Arabs sharing the same space and with a greater degree of harmony than anywhere else. Then add to that a huge community from the former Soviet republics and I knew that Haifa had to be our focus."

"Most striking is how much the locals care for each other," adds Liam. "All of the men we met kept asking if we'd managed to meet people from other communities. Jews were spreading the word to their Arab friends, Arabs were introducing us to their Russian friends, and everyone wanted to make sure that we would be able to show the multiculturalism that the people of Haifa are so proud of."

Elska Haifa is 164 pages and is available in print or as an electronic download. A companion e-zine called Elska Ekstra Haifa is also available, containing outtakes, behind-the-scenes tales, andimages and stories from a few more Haifa men. A list of stockists and details of how to order online can be found on the Elska website.