Shira Banki 16-year-old victim of the Jerusalem Gay Pride parade stabbing attack has died. Shira Banki had been fighting for her life after being stabbed in the chest and stomach.
The haredi man Yishai Schlissel, stays in police custody. He founds psychologically fit to stand trial on Friday, one day after he allegedly stabbed six marchers. She died Sunday afternoon at Hadassah Medical Center in Ein Kerem. Her family agreed to donate her organs, Hadassah announced.
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Schlissel had been released from prison three weeks earlier after serving 10 years for a similar attack at Jerusalem’s 2005 gay pride parade.
“We won’t permit the terrible murderer to challenge the basic values on which Israeli society is built, ” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement after sending his condolences to the family.
“We reject with disgust any attempt to impose hatred and violence among us and will bring the murderer to justice, ” it said. “Shira was murdered because she bravely supported the principle that everyone has the right to live their lives respectfully and with security.”
“The murder at the pride parade in the streets of Jerusalem is a criminal act, and we won’t let it achieve its objective. We’ll continue to allow complete free expression in the city for everyone, continue to support all the groups and communities in the city and Open House. We’ll continue the education to accept the other and tolerance in the education system and won’t be deterred by those who try to prevent this by foul methods, ” Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said in a statement after the teen’s death.
Israeli Ynet news reports the police is looking into a possible connection between Shlissel and a rebbetzin (a rabbi’s wife) from Jerusalem, who is a prominent, vocal critic of the pride parade.
Police arrived at the rebbetzin’s home on Thursday evening and Saturday evening to detain her, but she collapsed and was taken to hospital for medical treatment.
Ynet learned that a year ago, Shlissel turned to the rebbetzin’s husband, asking for his help in spreading rabbinical literature, and a connection was indeed made between the two.
Both the rabbi and his wife deny that they had any knowledge of Shlissel’s plans, or that they were in any contact with him close to the time of the parade.
