Israeli Education Minister Claims He Turned Gay Person Straight

Israel's education minister sparked protests after boasting he provided conversion therapy services to youth, and supports the practice.

Rabbi Rafi Peretz told local Israeli news station Channel 12 that he believed in the discredited practice and had in fact administered it. When asked if he believed sexual orientation could be changed in an individual, he responded affirmatively.

"I think you can," he said, according to The Guardian. "I can tell you that I have a deep knowledge of education, and I have done it too."

Peretz went on to describe working with a young man who said he was gay, but then Peretz helped him "understand himself well and then decide on his own."

Peretz represents the far-right ultranationalist Jewish Home Party, according to the The Washington Post. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed him to the post as he assembles a new government coalition.

He previously served as a chief military rabbi, apparently the period when he tried converting youth.

He described his effort in the interview, according to the Post.

"I hugged him first, then uttered very warm words," Peretz recalled. "I told him that we needed to think about this, learn about this, observe this. The objective is for him first of all to know himself, and then I can give him the data."

The education ministry quickly released a statement that Peretz's positions were not those of the government.

Netanyahu also distanced himself from the remarks.

"The education minister's remarks regarding the gay community are not acceptable to me," Netanyahu said, "and do not reflect the position of the government under my leadership."

The prime minister also said he had spoken with Peretz to make clear the Israeli school system would accept all children "as they are."

None of that stopped an onslaught on opposition from LGBTQ activists in the nation.

"Either you are a liar, or you are stupid, or you are sealed in a way that makes you unworthy of being responsible for educating young people, or educating any young person," wrote out filmmaker Gal Uchovsky in a Hebrew column for Mako, calling on Peretz to resign.

"If you have any idea of modern psychology and education, you know there is no way to turn a gay person straight or straight person lesbian."

Hundreds of protesters gathered in the streets of Tel Aviv this weekend demanding Peretz's resignation.