Shira Banki, a 16-year-old girl who was injured during last week’s attack on Jerusalem Pride, died on Sunday. Banki was marching to support her LGBT friends when a right-wing extremist, Yishai Schlissel, breached the perimeter of the parade and attacked those around him with a knife. Though there were police present throughout the parade, six people, including Banki, were stabbed before they could contain him.
The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported that Banki’s family issued the following statement:
“Our magical Shira was murdered because she was a happy 16-year-old – full of life and love – who came to express her support for her friends’ rights to live as they choose. For no good reason and because of evil, stupidity and negligence, the life of our beautiful flower was cut short. Bad things happen to good people, and a very bad thing happened to our amazing girl,” the family said in a statement, which also expressed “hope for less hatred and more tolerance.”
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said in a statement: “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.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered condolences to the Banki family in a statement.
“Shira was murdered because she courageously supported the principle according to which everyone is entitled to live their lives in dignity and safety,” Netanyahu said Sunday. “We will not allow the abhorrent murderer to undermine the fundamental values upon which Israeli society is based. We strongly condemn the attempt to instill hatred and violence in our midst and we will deal with the murderer to the fullest extent of the law.”
Yishai Schlissel, a haredi Orthodox man from Modiin Ilit in the West Bank, remains in police custody after being deemed psychologically fit to stand trial on Friday, a day after he allegedly stabbed six marchers. Schlissel had been released from prison three weeks earlier after serving 10 years for a similar attack at Jerusalem’s 2005 gay pride parade.
