17 Year old Israeli Dies from Stab Wounds Inflicted at Jerusalem Pride

Banki was one of the six people injured, two seriously, in a stabbing at Jerusalem Gay Pride.

The detained suspect has been named as Yishai Schlissel, a radical right wing ultra-Orthodox Jew.

Schlissel was sentenced to 12 years in prison for a similar attack in 2005.  he was released from prison only three weeks ago. It is believed that the he is the same person who stabbed three people at the same parade in 2005.

Melanie Nathan, Executive Director of African HRC commented:

” May her memory be a blessing and hers be the last of such despicable murders. May G-d comfort her family and the entire land of Israel – where the majority of people respect, accept and love the LGBT community.

The abject intolerance and hate that comes in the name of any form of extremism in religion must end. This is going on somewhere- somehow – in every religion on every continent. Right now, as we speak – someone is hating LGBTI people and speaking rhetoric or trying to enact legislation that serves to persecute or kill gays.  With every hateful breathe someone who deserves their full life – to live in love and peace – is closer to dying. It must end now.”

Famed U.S. attorney, Roberta Kaplan, who is Jewish, and who represented and won the Edie Windsor marriage equality case in the Supreme Court of the U.S.A.  made this comment:

“This is a shonda. Israel is supposed to be a country for all Jews. And the word “all” means “all,” including LGBT people. I have rarely been so ashamed. Netanyahu needs to answer for why this murderer was released from prison without surveillance and why there wasn’t better security in a country with one of the best security services in the world.”

In this case, although PM Benjamin Netanyau has come out forceful against the attack, there is much explaining to do on the part of the Israeli authorities – they released an extremist who had the propensity to repeat a crime he had committed previously, failing to provide surveillance or adequate security. The community must demand answers.

Religion is love, tolerance and peace and those who believe that from every faith has a duty to speak out against those who attack gays whether such attacks are physical or verbal.

There is a vibrant gay observant Jewish community in Jerusalem; one that is particularly shaken by the attack, which was carried out in the name of religion by a deranged individual. READ MORE and see Video with song in prayer.

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