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Recently, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro met with the leaders of Aguda: The National Association of GLBT in Israel, an umbrella organization that represents LGBT issues in the Knesset (Israeli parliament) and at the local level, according to a press release.

Prominent members of the LGBT community also participated. The meeting took place at the Gay and Lesbian Center of Tel Aviv—the scene of a hate crime in 2009 where a gunman opened fire in the club, killing two people and injuring at least 15.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has made it a priority for embassies around the world to increase their engagement with the LGBT community. The United States led efforts to adopt the first ever U.N. resolution on the human rights of LGBT persons this summer.