Jerusalem gay parade stabbing victim dies

Shira Banki, one of six victims wounded by an ultra-orthodox Jewish man, died of her injuries on Saturday, Hadar Elboim of Hadassah hospital in Jerusalem told reporters Sunday.

The 16-year-old girl had been in critical condition after being stabbed during Thursday's gay pride parade in Jerusalem. The suspect, Yishai Shlissel (pictured above), attacked six participants with a knife. The attack came just weeks after Shlissel was released from prison where he had been serving a 10-year sentence for a similar crime he committed at the 2005 gay pride parade in the city.

Police said on Sunday that a committee had been formed to examine the "background and circumstances" that allowed the attack to take place.

'Zero tolerance'

Meanwhile, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attack and also criticized Jewish extremists for burning down a Palestinian home and killing a baby two days earlier, calling them "terrorists." On Sunday, he spoke of "zero tolerance" against such attacks.

Many Israeli leaders have accused the government of failing to address the problem of Jewish extremism. In a speech at a rally to protest the stabbing, former President Shimon Peres said, "Those who incite against Israel's Arab citizens should not be surprised when churches and mosques are set on fire, and when finally a baby is burned in the middle of the night."

mg/jlw (AP, AFP, dpa)