The attack on the gay youth advice centre in Tel Aviv was a tragic set back for the country which has set the standard for gay rights in the Middle East.

But as blogger Chas Newky-Burden points out:
"In many of the countries surrounding Israel, the government and police would not be condemning and hunting somone who murdered gay people - they would be committing the murders themselves as part of their barbaric legal systems."

The worst thing that could happen as a result of these heartbreaking murders now is that Israel is categorised, along with its neighbours, as a hotbed for violence and intolerance against the gay community, when the country has in fact led a shining example.

The IDF and the Knesset has openly gay leading members, homosexual education programmes exist in schools, and gay marriages performed outside Israel are recognised, even if gay marriage is not yet legal in Israel, and Dana International, a transvestite is one of the country's most loved stars.

For gay rights, it's not perfect, but Britain's not perfect yet either.

We can never let hate and fear, or the actions of one maniac, stand in the way of people's right to love each other.