At least six people were stabbed Thursday afternoon during the annual Jerusalem Pride Parade. At least two are seriously wounded, one of them in critical condition.
The stabbing took place on Jerusalem’s Keren Hayesod Street, where Magen David Adom emergency services treated the victims. According to Israeli Police, the suspected stabber is Yishai Shlissel, an ultra-Orthodox man who was recently released from prison after serving 10 years for stabbing three marchers during the 2005 parade. He was caught at the scene.
According to witnesses, the attacker emerged behind the marchers and began stabbing them while screaming. A police officer then tackled him to the ground and arrested him.
According to Haaretz, police had granted a permit to 30 right-wing activists, including far-right leader Benzi Gopstein — who heads the anti-miscegenation group, Lehava — to protest the event not far from the march. Earlier Thursday, police arrested right-wing extremist Baruch Marzel though they denied the arrest had anything to do with the the parade itself.
Prime Minister Netanyahu condemned the attack, stating that, “We must ensure that every man and woman in Israel live securely no matter what choice they make,” and wished the wounded a speedy recovery.
Education Minister Naftali Bennett, whose Jewish Home party was criticized by Israel’s LGBTQ community during this year’s election campaign for its homophobic platform, called the stabbing a “moral crime that cannot be forgiven.”
