Near the site many believe to be where that city was destroyed by God, largely due to the sexual immorality of its citizens, there will soon be a four-day LGBT “pride” event that the Israeli government noted would even include “children’s activities.”

The promotion of the event by the Israeli government — just one day after the Israel Defense Forces confirmed that one of its soldiers smashed a statue of the crucified Christ outside a church with a sledgehammer — prompted significant backlash among some conservative Christians.

American theologian and pastor Dale Partridge tweeted, “The devil couldn’t have written it better. ‘The lowest place on earth’ ‘The Dead Sea becomes pride land.’”

Auron MacIntyre raised the matter of whether his tax dollars might be subsidizing the event, then asked, “Can anyone very carefully explain to me why American Christians owe anything to this?”

Conservative commentator Michael Knowles insinuated that the Israeli government’s announcement answered a question about the cause of recent increases in meteor sightings overhead.

Knowles’ colleague, Matt Walsh, called the planned festival “absolutely evil and disgusting.”

Organizers described the event as a multigenerational “Pride City,” not just a party celebrating pride. “This is not just another festival, it’s the biggest thing we’ve done here,” explained Aaron Cohen, main producer and initiator of the festival.

“We chose to grow,” Cohen added. “To take an investment of millions, purchase entire hotels for 4 days, and build a city from scratch in the middle of the desert. It’s an experience that lives 24/7, from quiet visits to nights of pride, with a living envelope of music and people.”

The event aims to highlight the Dead Sea region as a permanent destination for LGBT tourists, emphasizing that Pride in Israel extends beyond the key hub of Tel Aviv.