Man who attacked Jerusalem gay pride last year accused of fresh plot

Peter Beaumont in Jerusalem
Thursday 21 July 2016 17.39 BST

Jerusalem’s gay pride parade has gone ahead under tight security after it was alleged that an ultra-Orthodox extremist who stabbed several people at last year’s march, killing a 16-year-old girl, was attempting to organise a fresh attack from his prison cell.

Israeli officials said Yishai Schlissel had been arrested in prison on suspicion of plotting with his brother, Michael, to harm march participants. Michael Schlissel, who was arrested on Wednesday, denies the allegations.

Speaking before the parade started, the Jerusalem police chief, Yoram Halevy, said: “We have disrupted and prevented an attempt to hurt people during the parade. The march will take place as planned. We will ensure that the public is able to realise its rights to free expression and protest in Israel’s democracy.”

Other members of Schlissel’s family have been barred from coming to Jerusalem. Schlissel is serving a life sentence for the murder of Shira Banki at last year’s march. He had been released from prison three weeks before that attack after serving a sentence for stabbing several people at a pride parade in 2005.

[font size=1]-snip-[/font]