Yishai Schlissel today, left, and in 2005 from Israeli TV via Twitter
At least six people were stabbed today at Jerusalem’s Pride parade. One woman is in critical condition.
The person accused is a heredi, or Orthodox, man who staged a similar attack at Jerusalem Pride in 2005. He was recently released from prison.
While Pride in secular Tel Aviv in June attracts about 200,000 people annually, Pride in more religious Jerusalem remains controversial. But thousands of people participated in this year’s march that had heavy police protection.
Police quickly wrestled the man down, according to a report in HaAretz.
The attacker was identified as Yishai Schlissel. His original sentence was for 12 years, but was reduced to 10 years on appeal.
In response to the stabbing of six people at the Jerusalem Pride Parade earlier today, Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, released the following statement:
We are horrified and saddened by the stabbing of six people at today’s Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade. Even more chilling is the news that the assailant was previously convicted of committing the same crime a decade ago. Participants in the Gay Pride Parade, a celebration of love and liberty, should never need to worry about being victims of a hate crime. Our sympathies and prayers are with those attacked, and we stand in solidarity with all in the Israeli LGBT community. We call on Israeli law enforcement to ensure the perpetrator is never again allowed to cause harm and on policymakers to combat the troubling persistence of hate crimes.