An Israeli teenager who was stabbed at a gay pride parade in Jerusalem earlier this week succumbed to her wounds and died Sunday morning.
The death came only hours after thousands of people across the country took to the streets to protest the bigoted attack Thursday, when Yishai Schlissel stabbed six people at a gay pride event before being apprehended.
Shira Banki, 16, died from her wounds Sunday. The other five did not suffer life threatening injuries.
“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,” said her family in a statement, according to the Israeli news website Walla.
Schlissel, an ultra-Orthodox Haredi Jew – a sect that rejects modern secular culture – was recently released from prison for carrying out similar attacks at a gay pride parade 10 years ago.
Major rallies took place in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv Saturday night, while small events took place elsewhere throughout the country. Numerous speakers warned that continued homophobic acts would be a detriment to Israeli society and told authorities to take firmer action against such acts.
The rallies were also attended by people speaking out against the recent violent death a Palestinian baby, Ali Dawabsha, who burned to death after his home was firebombed. Dawabsha's parents and four year old brother were also seriously injured in the attack.
Activists and concerned citizens spoke out against the violence by Jewish extremists against Palestinians both in the occupied territories and in Israel, which largely go unchecked, investigated or punished by authorities.
Nasser Dawabsha, Ali’s uncle, addressed a Jewish Israeli crowd in Tele Aviv Saturday night asking “when will this stop?”
“I want to ask [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, and I want an answer, why was Ali murdered? Eighteen months old. He’s innocent. What did he do to the army and the settlers? Ali is a martyr. We ask and hope that this will be the end of the suffering of our people,” he said.