After their abysmal failure to stop ultra-Orthodox murderer Yishai Schlissel, who in 2015 stabbed to death an Israeli teenage girl at the Jerusalem gay pride parade, police have gone several shades of crazy on the eve of the Tel Aviv Friday parade. According to the legal aid society Honenu, police have been raiding the homes of rightwing activists, warning them against attending and protesting the parade.

According to attorney Itamar Ben Gvir, despite the fact that an Israeli court refused to sign restraining orders without the shred of a proof against individuals, police nevertheless showed up in their homes and demanded that they sign an agreement to stay away from the parade.

“The police have forgotten that the right of free speech also includes the right to protest the gay pride parade,” Ben Gvir said, noting that “although the activist who was made to sign had no intention of going there, and certainly had not planned to, the very notion of knocking on people’s doors and asking them to sign such a prohibition is contrary to the laws of the State of Israel.”

At 2 AM Friday, police officers and detectives raided the home of a family in Samaria and detained for interrogation the mother, a nursery school teacher and mother of four. The forces came equipped with a search order signed by Tel Aviv Magistrate Court Judge Shlomit Ben-Itzhak, woke up the family and confiscated the woman’s smartphone and computer. Then they took the woman for an interrogation without any court order, with her husband and baby tagging along.

In her interrogation, the woman shared that she had no idea there was going to be a gay pride parade, and that she has no connection to any related activity.

It is obvious that police are terrified of a repeat of the Jerusalem parade murder, where they allowed near the parade a known violent attacker of gays, who had just been released from a long prison term for attacking marchers in the 2005 Jerusalem gay pride parade. It’s bewildering to think what the police might do in preparation for the Jerusalem gay pride parade in two months. Rightwing activists are encouraged to give interviews and publish blog entries in favor of acceptance, embracing the other, and respecting people’s right to experiment with their sexuality — or face jail.

The leftwing Ir Amin (Heb: city of nations) has petition the High Court against the decision of the Jerusalem municipality and police to permit the traditional Jerusalem Liberation Day Parade of Flags to go through the Muslim Quarter of the Old City despite the fact that the Muslim holy month of Ramadan commences after nightfall on the same date. The petitioners argue that Muslim worshipers would not be able to move freely to their places of worship.

The Court ordered the State to respond by 2 PM Thursday.

The rightwing Am Kalavi (Heb: Lion-like Nation) NGO, which organizes the parade, called the petition a leftwing provocation intended to create a spit and to segregate Jews from the Old City of Jerusalem.

by Michael Bachner

Yishai Schlissel, an ultra-Orthodox Jew from Modi’in Illit, was convicted on Tuesday of the murder of 16-year-old Shira Banki in a stabbing rampage during Jerusalem’s gay pride parade last year. Schlissel stabbed several marchers in the July parade, which he deemed “blasphemous,” killing Banki and wounding six others. He was also convicted of six counts of attempted murder.

Judge Nava Ben Or ruled that “it has been proven beyond reasonable doubt that the accused killed Shira premeditatively.”

This is the second time Schlissel is convicted of stabbing Jerusalem gay pride parade marchers. He was convicted in 2005 for stabbing and wounding several marchers in that year’s parade, and received ten years in prison. He was released just three weeks before attacking the parade yet again and murdered Banki.

The court blasted the Israeli police for allowing Schlissel to enter the parade with “intolerable ease,” despite his history and clear willingness to attack parade-goers. “The writing was on the wall,” the court said.

Schlissel repeatedly claimed in the past that the “blasphemous” parade desecrated Jerusalem’s sanctity and needed to be stopped at any cost. Schlissel refused to be represented by a lawyer throughout the trial, arguing that the court had no authority to judge him since it was not a religious court.

“He was very quiet while running between marchers and stabbing them, not hollering like you would imagine,” testified Eran Tzidkiyahu during the trial. He said he saw the knife being being pulled out of Banki’s back after the stabbing.

“The defendant was previously convicted of similar offenses for which he served a prison term,” commented the state prosecution after the ruling. “Nevertheless, he was not rehabilitated and has never expressed regret or sadness for his actions. He became even more radical and repeated his severe crimes.”

“This will not be the first time he goes to prison, which is a sign that prison doesn’t work,” commented Noam Eyal, who was wounded by Schlissel during the 2015 parade, after the conviction. “He is dangerous to the public and should not ever see the light of day.”

Another victim, Sheli Bar Lev, said she felt “relieved that he will not be coming to any parade ever again.”

Sukkot is a Jewish holiday in that has a strong international element to it. It’s a holiday that expresses concern and caring for the rest of the world, and embraces those that embrace us.

Every year non-Jewish people from around the world come to Israel on Sukkot and march in the Jerusalem parade.

Today, tens of thousands of people marched today through Jerusalem to show their support for the Jewish state.

Thank you.

Photos by Hadas Parush/Flash90 and Nati Shohat/Flash90

Parents carried little ones on their shoulders, and held five-year-old children by the hand. Older children gripped their blue-and-white flags tightly and waved them in the breeze as the marching bands played music to dance by — some of them not understand the tears in their grandparents’ eyes.

Tens of thousands of Jews turned out Sunday (May 31) to show their pride in being Jewish, in their visceral connection to the Jewish State, the reborn State of Israel. Politics aside, military threat aside, Israel’s desire for peace was in citywide evidence in the very theme for the event: “Israel Imagines Peace.”

Sponsored by some 35 organizations that included the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, the government of the State of Israel and the UJA Federation, this year’s lineup featured some 40,000 marchers, according to UJA Federation CEO Eric Goldstein.

This year’s Grand Marshals were two representatives for the Russian-speaking Jewish community, Alan Meskin and Angela Reyzelman. “Jews originating from the Soviet Union were instrumental builders and warriors of the State of Israel and also directly benefited from the creation of the state in 1948, as for many, Israel became a safe haven, a land of opportunity and a new home,” explained organizers on the Celebrate Israel New York (CelebrateIsraelNY) website.

Representing the State of Israel were Ambassador Ido Aharoni, Consul General of Israel in New York; Science, Technology & Space Minister Danny Danon; and Minister Without Portfolio Ofir Akunis. Also marching were Knesset Members Yoav Ben-Tzur, Avraham Nagosa, Ksenia Svetlov and Revital Sweid.

Numerous prominent Jewish personalities participated in the parade; Dr. Ruth Westheimer made a surprise appearance as well, telling FOX television co-anchor Becky Griffin: “It is very important to support this parade, especially today… Imagine living with a Palestinian neighbor, and everyone living in peace – that’s the most important thing for you and me.”

At least 100,000 people lined both sides of Fifth Avenue to watch the marchers make their way up the famous avenue from 57th Street to 74th Street.

Marching up Fifth Avenue. The parade seemed endless.

The New York Police Department’s Shomrim Society — the organization of Jewish police officers — was one of the first groups to lead off the parade, as always. The city’s Fire Department also marched, as it does to honor every ethnicity in New York, most of whom are also represented on the force as well.

The parade stepped off at 11 am and continued through until 3pm; at about 2 pm, a light rain began to fall on marchers and spectators – but no one paid any attention to the droplets.

Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center was also represented at the parade.

“This year’s parade is the largest in the history of the event,” JCRC executive vice president and CEO Michael Miller smiled. “Next year it will be just as big – if not bigger!,” he added.

Perhaps the group that summed up the experience best was RAJE, the Russian American Jewish Experience, which ran the banner, “Let My People Know!”

Protesters who plan to demonstrate today at the world’s largest shofar-blowing event in history in New York City have drawn praise from the Israeli government coalition chairman, who expressed his admiration for their “courage.”

Israeli government coalition chairman MK Yariv Levin  is “deeply moved” by demonstrators who are to gather to protest participation in the Israel Day Parade of groups promoting the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.

In a letter sent to Richard Allen, founder of JCCWatch – organizer of the rally being held in New York – Levin praised the rally, set for Tuesday April 29 at  5 pm, “courageous stance of so many friends of Israel involved in the parade, calling to delegitimize those who delegitimize Israel.

“It is not logical or reasonable for Israel supporters to condone or overlook or indirectly cooperate with BDS groups which represent the antithesis of support for Israel. Refusing to recognize the State of Israel’s sovereign right to develop and maintain an independent legal position on any issue of national importance is not legitimate.”

The UJA-Federation and Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) which sponsors the annual Israel Day Parade, agreed this year to permit a number of anti-Israel groups to march this year in the parade, setting off a tsunami of protest over their participation. Among those  are:

• Partners for Progressive Israel: which encourages the public to boycott Ahava Cosmetics, SodaStream and wine from nine Israeli vineyards.
• The New Israel Fund: which finances NGOs (non-governmental organizations) that promote BDS activities against Israel. NIF funds Machsom Watch, the Coalition of Women for Peace, Women Against violence, Social TV and Mossawa, all of which signed a letter to the Norwegian government pension fund, urging it to divest from Israel.
• B’Tselem: A major recipient of funds from NIF, the group has produced the anti-israel video shown at Israel Apartheid Week events held at various universities around the world. The organization’s board chairman, Oren Yiftachel, has publicly called for “effective sanctions” against Israel.

The rally, promoted as the “largest shofar blowing event in Jewish history,” is set to take place this afternoon (April 29) at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time (New York City) in front of the UJA-Federation building at 130 East 59th Street, between Park and Lexington Avenues. Participants are urged to bring their shofars to the rally. Those who do not have a shofar but who wish to participate can receive one to use on site.

Scheduled speakers include Rabbi David Algaze from the World Committee for the Land of Israel / Havurat Yisrael; Richard Allen, JCCWatch; Dr. Paul Brody of the Jewish Political Education Foundation; Helen Freedman of Americans for a Safe Israel; Beth Gilinsky of National Conference on Jewish Affairs; Mort Klein, head of Zionist Organization of America; Robert Muchnick of Manhigut Yehudit, and Lauri Regan of Endowment for Middle East Truth.

Some 5,000 people marched in Jerusalem’s “Gay Pride” parade on Thursday, upsetting many residents and contributing very little to the spirit of tolerance. While in Tel-Aviv the parade enjoys massive local support, the insistence on conducting it in the holiest city in the world regularly upsets even liberal minded religious Jews.

Some Orthodox Jewish men gathered in the Meah Shearim neighborhood to protest the parade with a counter-parade featuring a small herd of donkeys adorned with sheets with the slogan: Proud Donkey. (We could have used the other, legitimate English word for Equus africanus asinus, but there must be several considerations of good taste and proper style why we shouldn’t in this context.)