Haredi man stabs three at Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade

BenReilly · Jun 30, 2005

What started off as a lively parade of nearly 5,000 Gay Pride activists quickly turned violent Thursday as three young marchers were stabbed by ultra-religious protestors of the parade.

Witnesses said they saw a young, ultra-Orthodox youth dart into the crowd of marchers and stab a young man and woman as they neared the corner of Ben Yehuda Street and Hahistradrut Street. The young woman was injured on her left forearm, while the young man received wounds to his right wrist and a deeper injury to his left upper torso. When nearby marchers saw what had happened they tried to detain the youth, who lightly injured a third ale before running into a group of ultra-Orthodox men standing on the sidewalk.

The three victims were taken to Bikur Holim Hospital in the city center and were listed in stable condition by paramedics on the scene.

Police said they had detained one young man in connection to the stabbing and were searching for others who may have been involved. Police also arrested 13 religious Jews who attempted to block the parade's path as it turned onto King George Street.

"In light of the violence we have seen here today, it goes to show how much farther we have to go to turn Israel into a liberal and tolerant state," said MK Roman Bronfman

(...)

"The mayor wanted to stop this parade and he couldn't," said Hagai El-Ad, the Director of Jerusalem Open House, a Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender group that helped organize the parade.

Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski had tried to block the parade, but the Jerusalem District Court on Sunday ruled that the city must allow the event to take place
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http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1120098357408

christopher d · Jun 30, 2005

Good for Jerusalem. Hopefully the idiot charging into the crowd makes the anti-parade folks do a little self-examination.

Next year, same place, but with the Mayor's support.

topcatcole · Jun 30, 2005

SObearCAL said:

Good for Jerusalem. Hopefully the idiot charging into the crowd makes the anti-parade folks do a little self-examination.
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Unfortunately, I doubt it.

SObearCAL said:

Next year, same place, but with the Mayor's support.
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I'm not sure I understand your comment. I'm guessing that the mayor was opposed because of concern that just this type of thing would happen and he felt that security coud not be provided. Just guessing, though.

CrewDust · Jun 30, 2005

Huh, I thought the protesters were all tied up trying to sabotage the pull out of the Gaza Strip to attack the parade, guess I am wrong.

bigredfutbol · Jun 30, 2005

I don't pretend to be an expert on Israel--so any of you here who know more than me, feel more than free to correct me--but my impression is that Israel has a huge amount of pent-up tension between the secular and ultra-religious elements in their society; a tension which has been submerged under the common threat first from outside Arab states and then from terrorism in the Occupied Territories. I've read somebody (can't remember who) who believes that, once some sort of lasting peace is established, this will be the big crisis in Israel.

I realize this wasn't an entirely isolated incident, but how much more of this kind of thing could one expect if all hell broke loose?

odessit19 · Jun 30, 2005

bigredfutbol said:

I don't pretend to be an expert on Israel--so any of you here who know more than me, feel more than free to correct me--but my impression is that Israel has a huge amount of pent-up tension between the secular and ultra-religious elements in their society; a tension which has been submerged under the common threat first from outside Arab states and then from terrorism in the Occupied Territories. I've read somebody (can't remember who) who believes that, once some sort of lasting peace is established, this will be the big crisis in Israel.

I realize this wasn't an entirely isolated incident, but how much more of this kind of thing could one expect if all hell broke loose?
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I say take care of the enemy first (the one who wants to wipe your nation off this planet), then worry about secular and religious ideas of homosexuality and "western" way of life. Somehow I think both the secular and the religious will get along better when they know they don't have to worry about seeing another day

BenReilly · Jul 1, 2005

bigredfutbol said:

I don't pretend to be an expert on Israel--so any of you here who know more than me, feel more than free to correct me--but my impression is that Israel has a huge amount of pent-up tension between the secular and ultra-religious elements in their society; a tension which has been submerged under the common threat first from outside Arab states and then from terrorism in the Occupied Territories.
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The Ayatollahs in Israel already have 10 times as much power in Israel as evangelicals have in the USA. Given the demographic trends (ultra-Orthodox have 6-8 children, secular Jews have around 2), things will only get worse.

I've read somebody (can't remember who) who believes that, once some sort of lasting peace is established, this will be the big crisis in Israel.
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Heh. That's like wondering what will happen to accountants once the tax code gets simplified.

prk166 · Jul 1, 2005

CrewDust said:

Huh, I thought the protesters were all tied up trying to sabotage the pull out of the Gaza Strip to attack the parade, guess I am wrong.
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I was wondering the same thing.

Sorry to see this and things like it happen.

bigredfutbol · Jul 1, 2005

BenReilly said:

The Ayatollahs in Israel already have 10 times as much power in Israel as evangelicals have in the USA. Given the demographic trends (ultra-Orthodox have 6-8 children, secular Jews have around 2), things will only get worse.
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I'd read that too. Doesn't sound good.

BenReilly said:

Heh. That's like wondering what will happen to accountants once the tax code gets simplified.
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Seriously, I hope you're wrong. I have a little hope that, at the very least, the old status quo 'standoff' has been broken. Some good may yet come of it.