About Israel

The experience of harsh anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union led Lucas to form a strong bond with his Jewish distinctiveness and the state of Israel. He learned early on what would be his minority struggle; even in grade school Jews were separated from Russians in class books, as Jewish was the official nationality on Lucas’ identification. Lucas was determined to hold on to his heritage and endured the bigotry. Out of this torment was born the foundation of a controversial worldview. Lucas is a self-proclaimed Jewish atheist and Zionist. “I believe that people have created God,” Lucas states. “Not the other way around.”

His deep affinity for the state of Israel put Lucas on retribution in 2006 to defend Israel’s morale with the Lebanon War. In the midst of the ongoing battle, he announced his plans to go to Israel. He performed at one of the biggest clubs in Tel-Aviv, The Vox, to a full capacity crowd.

Lucas was widely praised for the trip and it was featured on the nation’s largest news site Ynet.

In the summer of 2007, Lucas again caused a stir in his NY Blade column. He assertively referred to Ultra-Orthodox community in Jerusalem as “religious goons” who are “parasites thieving off the state welfare program”.

In 2009, Michael Lucas became a citizen of Israel.

In the summer of 2010, Michael Lucas pioneered his first Tour of Israel that successfully brought together tourists from around the world and guided them through the beauty of the nation.

Michael Lucas is a strong advocate for the Jewish nation. He has marched in many pro-Israeli protests and has passionately denounced the intolerance and barbarity of the Islamic countries that surround Israel.

Michael Lucas Stands Up to The LGBT Center for Israel

In February of 2011, Lucas made a decisive stand for Israel by speaking out against an event that was scheduled to be held in the LGBT Community Center in New York City. When Lucas learned that the group Siegebusters was planning a fundraising event in conjunction with Israeli Apartheid Week, he leapt into action, coming out in opposition to the event in a press release and gathering Israeli supporters to convince the Center to reconsider allowing the event.

“I’m preparing to organize a boycott that would certainly involve some of the Center’s most generous donors,” said Lucas in the release. “It was an inexcusable decision on the Center’s part to associate itself with a hate group like Israeli Apartheid Week, but there’s still time for them to reverse course and begin restoring their reputation. At first I thought this was a joke. Israel is the only country in the Middle East that supports gay rights, while its enemies round up, torture, and condemn gay people to death — often by publicly hanging or stoning them to death. If the LGBT Center wants to host a fundraising and awareness party for anti-Semites, they might as well go all the way and host a tea dance for Fred Phelps.”

The event and all future events by the group were canceled. In an open letter to his supporters, Lucas said, “We prevailed! Congratulations to everyone who stood with me in support of Israel. With your help it took only eight hours to accomplish our mission. The LGBT Center has decided it will not host the party by Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW), scheduled for March 5th. According to an email I just received personally from Glennda Testone, executive director of New York’s LGBT Center, it has been determined that ‘this event is not appropriate to be held at our LGBT Community Center.’ It is unfortunate that it took the effort of so many of us in order to obtain this decision. The gay center should know who they permit to use their facilities and should not have allowed this group access to the Center’s facilities and not have the need for our intervention.”

This was the only time in recent history when an anti-Israeli event was canceled.