“We think it’s really a great tragedy, we regret it very much and pray for the recovery of the wounded,” Rivka Shlissel told the 16-year-old Shira Banki’s family. Banki died Sunday from her wounds. Rivka Shlissel met with members of the Banki family Tuesday.
Above: Shira Banki
Mother Of Gay Pride Terrorist Says Family Regrets Attack, Prays For Victims’ Recovery
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
The mother of the haredi man who staged a terror attack at Jerusalem’s Gay Pride Parade last Thursday told a victim’s family she “regret[s]” the events that transpired, the JTA reported.
Yishai Shlissel (also spelled, “Schlissel”) stabbed six people at the parade, killing one of them, a 16-year-old girl.
“We think it’s really a great tragedy, we regret it very much and pray for the recovery of the wounded,” Rivka Shlissel told the 16-year-old Shira Banki’s family. Banki died Sunday from her wounds. Rivka Shlissel met with members of the Banki family Tuesday, Walla! News reported.
Yishai Shlissel carried out a similar knife attack on the Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade 10 years ago, wounding four people. He served a 10-year prison sentence and was released three weeks before this year’s parade.
Despite this and despite his publicly stated intent to disrupt this year’s parade, police did not watch Shlissel. They also did not follow what was supposed to be their own security plan for the parade. Instead of questioning any haredi person attempting to approach the parade route, police simply allowed Shlissel – who looks nearly identical to how he appeared in 2005 – to walk up and join the parade marchers. He did so, paused for a moment and then began stabbing.
Shlissel was immediately detained and then arrested by police. He was given a psychiatric exam and ruled fit to stand trial.
Earlier today, the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court ordered Shlissel to undergo a yet another psychiatric evaluation to determine his fitness for trial.
Several other haredim, some members of Shlissel’s family, are being investigated by police to determine what roles, if any, they played in the attack and to see if they had foreknowledge of it but failed to warn police.