Teen girl stabbed at Israel Gay Pride dies

Teen Girl Dies 3 Days After She Was Stabbed at Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade.

Shira Banki (16) was among six people wounded on Thursday by an ultra-Orthodox Jewish man, Yishai Schlissel, who had carried out a similar attack on a gay pride parade in 2005.

He had angrily spoken out against the parade after his release from prison three weeks earlier.

The parade was in full swing in central Jerusalem when the attacker lunged into the march, stabbing people with a long-bladed knife before being apprehended by police.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, sent his condolences to the Banki family, and said “Shira was murdered because she courageously supported the principle that every person is entitled to live their life in dignity and safety”.

“We won’t let the despicable murderer undermine the fundamental values upon which Israeli society is based,” he added in a statement.

Jerusalem, known for its rich religious history and tradition, holds a modest parade annually in contrast to the large parade in nearby liberal Tel Aviv, which drew more than 100,000 people this year.

Agencies/Canadajournal