Yishai Shlissel—an Orthodox Jew who stabbed marchers at a Jerusalem gay pride parade a decade ago—launched another knife attack at the same type of parade in the same city on July 30, stabbing and wounding six people, according to various reports.
Two were reportedly injured seriously. A 16-year-old teenager, Shira Banki, has died, the Washington Blade noted. (Banki's family has agreed to donate her organs.)
Shlissel was released from prison less than a month ago after serving a 10-year prison sentence for stabbing and wounding three marchers at a Jerusalem gay-pride parade in 2005.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the attack "a despicable hate crime."
In a separate statement, InterPride, the International Association of Pride Organizers, condemned the attack as well. The organization said, "Our hearts go to the victims, their families and the entire LGBT community in Jerusalem and Israel. InterPride stands in solidarity with Jerusalem Open House, the organizer of the annual Pride celebration in the Israeli capital."
The Washington Blade article is at www.washingtonblade.com/2015/08/02/teenager-stabbed-during-jerusalem-pride-march-dies/ .
From Bronx LGBTQ Pride:
Bronx, NY - Friday, July 31, 2015. We join with InterPride in condemning this senseless attack on one of the world's premier LGBTQ pride events, held in Jerusalem.
As part of the global community of pride organizers, one of our main goals is the eradication of homophobia and transphobia. This cowardly act of hate violence perpetrated on what should have been a day of celebration and rejoicing will not go unanswered and serves to demonstrate not only the work ahead of us but the importance of holding Pride events.
We stand with the global community and with Jerusalem and are appreciative of the swift response and support from Israeli authorities in also condemning this senseless act of hate violence and bringing the attacker to justice. Our hearts and prayers go out to the victims, their families, and to Jerusalem Pride.
We thank InterPride for taking the lead on this tragic issue in highlighting the work ahead of us and supporting our LGBTQ brothers and sisters in Jerusalem and Israel.
~Peter C. Frank, Chair, Bronx LGBTQ Pride
Statement from Hadassah released Aug. 4:
Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America, condemns heinous acts of terrorism inflicted on all innocent people. The murder of 16-year-old Shira Banki at last week's Gay Pride parade in Jerusalem deeply affected our entire Hadassah family. Despite their best efforts, our doctors at the Hadassah Medical Organization in Jerusalem were unable to save Shira, who tragically died from the stab wounds inflicted by a religious extremist. HMO's medical staff tend to the broken bones, hearts and spirits of terrorist victims, as well as terrorists daily, know firsthand that senseless violence is never a solution to any problem. The doctors who treated Shira and everyone at Hadassah in Israel and the U.S. mourn her death and the many senseless deaths extremism has claimed.
