LGBT peace vigil as teen dies following Pride attack

by Stephen Oryszczuk

Candlelit vigils have been held in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem for a 16-year old girl killed by a religious Jew during Thursday’s attack on a gay Pride parade.

Shira Banki, who was stabbed in the back by Yishai Schlissel, an ultra-Orthodox man recently released from prison after attacking people at the same event in 2005, succumbed to her wounds on Sunday.

She was one of six people wounded during the Pride attack, before police managed to overwhelm Schlissel, who had been captured on camera reaching for his knife before lunging into the crowd.

Hadassah Medical Center spokeswoman Hadar Elboim announced that Shira had succumbed to her wounds, and that her organs would be donated.

A high school student, Shira was one of four brothers and sisters, and was described as “magical” and “happy” by her family in a statement.

“For no good reason and because of evil, stupidity and negligence, the life of our beautiful flower was cut short,” they said. “Bad things happen to good people, and a very bad thing happened to our amazing girl.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “We won’t permit the terrible murderer to challenge the basic values on which Israeli society is built.

“We reject with disgust any attempt to impose hatred and violence among us and will bring the murderer to justice… Shira was murdered because she bravely supported the principle that everyone has the right to live their lives respectfully and with security.”