Gays who want to become heterosexuals again, even those from the United States, are going to Israel, where a group of therapists are gaining acceptance and popularity for their work.
Dr. Elan Karten, a U.S.-trained psychologist and Orthodox Jew who performs the so-called "gay conversion," said Israel is becoming a safe haven for practitioners like her because of the strong conservative religious beliefs in the predominantly Jewish nation.
"Since there is such a strong religious presence here, and I think political correctness isn't as prevalent, there's more openness about it, about this kind of therapy here," Karten was quoted by the Associated Press as saying.
True enough, clients who avail themselves of this kind of therapy include Jewish teenagers from around the world who intend to attend post-high school study programmes at Orthodox seminaries in Israel.
Such institutions require their students who have homosexual tendencies to avail themselves of this kind of therapy.
At present, some 20 to 30 licensed psychologists offer "gay conversion" therapies in Israel. In addition to these, 50 unlicensed therapists also offer these services.
An American group called "People Can Change" also conducts seminars in Israel to supposedly help men "resolve unwanted homosexual attractions." Last month, 50 men attended this seminar.
A 23-year-old Orthodox Jewish from the U.S., who the AP did not identify, said attending this kind of seminar "was one of the best things that have ever happened to me."
"I feel like I've actually started living my life instead of just surviving it," the unnamed man told AP.
The Health Ministry of Israel, however, warned against these supposedly "reparative" therapy sessions, calling them scientifically dubious and potentially dangerous. There is, however, no law that punishes the practice of such therapy in Israel.
The Israel Psychological Association believes "gay conversion" is not effective and may even cause self-hatred and depression.
