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As violence escalated on their home front, a group of eight Israelis traveled through San Francisco earlier this month seeking peace of a different sort.

The members from Agudah — Israel's national association of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people founded in 1975 — joined on a quest to forge a stronger alliance between themselves and the American-Jewish GLBT community.

Taking time out before a meeting with the Israeli consul general Oct. 10, two Agudah leaders from Tel Aviv — executive director Luba Fein and chairperson Etal Pinkas — discussed their plight.

Clad in business attire, with backpacks draped over their shoulders and nametags pinned to their lapels, Fein and Pinkas first expressed their uneasiness at being away from their country during its current state of battle.

"I really feel like I should be there," said Pinkas, whose four years in the Israeli army eventually elevated him to the status of lieutenant.

Fein nodded in agreement: "It just doesn't feel right to be away."

While in America, however, the Agudah delegation would decidedly remain dedicated to its goals — to establish an American organization called Friends of the Agudah in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C.

"The United States played a significant role in the establishment of the Jewish state and contributed a lot to its growth and structure today," explained Pinkas. "Our hope is that the GLBT Jewish community here might also play a significant role, by helping to further build the GLBT community in Israel — morally, financially and professionally."

This was not the group's first interaction with those in the Bay Area. In April 1999 the Lesbian and Gay Task Force of the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation paid a visit to the Agudah.

"We had been trying to build a bridge for many, many years," said Peter 'Pini' Altman, who coordinated the task force's Holy Land visit. "People here assume Israel is a desert when it comes to being free [with one's sexuality]. They thought, 'If I go there to fulfill my Jewish side, I have to give up my gay or lesbian side.' But that's not true. There's a very vibrant gay community."

The Agudah's visit to San Francisco is "a continuation of that bridge-building," he said.

As with most visible gay communities, Israel's is not free from the bite of homophobia. And even in a country with compulsory military requirements, discrimination and homophobic attitudes have been known to infiltrate the army, agreed Pinkas and Fein.

"Somehow saying, 'I'm Etal and I'm the biggest queen,' isn't going to bring the greatest social success," said Pinkas, admitting he stayed closeted during his military tenure. "Some soldiers feel such hard pressure that they leave. Others manage."

Fein explained that it's the older generation of soldiers that struggles more with the issues of homosexuality.

"Many of the younger soldiers live openly, out of the closet," she said. "But many senior officers are still in the closet. We [Agudah] often get calls from gay and lesbian youth, about to enter the army, asking us what they should do — but it's a hard question to answer. They'd be much happier 'out,' but they also might feel hurt."

This type of scenario, said Fein, is mirrored by Israeli society. When it comes to being out, younger people well outnumber those who are older. The Tel Aviv community, she added, is much more supportive than others, such as Jerusalem and Haifa.

For this reason, Agudah strives to organize gay pride-type activities and events throughout the Jewish state. But its reach expands beyond a social level, covering a wide array of services such as political activism, cultural programs, educational programs on AIDS and other issues, and support services like help hotlines and counseling.

In 1988, the Israeli law against sodomy was abolished with help from Agudah. And in 1993 a law prohibiting discrimination of gay and lesbian workers and soldiers hit the books.

"These types of laws have allowed a beginning of legitimacy for the GLBT community in Israel," said Pinkas, noting, "We see ourselves as leaders in many human rights issues. We understand the need for minorities to gain power. We also, in many ways, target attacks from the ultra-Orthodox community."

Commenting on the American Jewish community, Pinkas believes that being a small segment among a majority of Christians has taught U.S. Jews "a very good lesson." Because Jews are the majority in Israel, he explained, many people have very little sympathy toward or understanding of minorities.

"The American Jewish minority and the Israeli gay minority have many similarities," he said. "In both cases, we are groups of people with strong ties to one another, reaching for acceptance.

"Anti-Semitism and homophobia are a lot alike."