Jerusalem Gay Pride attacker beaten up in prison
Incident marks second time in a month that Yishai Schlissel has physically fought with his fellow inmates
The Israeli convict who went on a stabbing rampage at Jerusalem’s 2015 Gay Pride Parade, wounding six parader-goers and killing a 16-year-old girl in the process, was beaten up by two inmates at Ayalon Prison following an argument over his crime.
The fight marks the second such altercation in the past month that has involved Yishai Schlissel, who is serving a life sentence for the murder of 16-year-old Shira Banki last July, The Times of Israel reports.
According to an initial investigation by prison authorities, guards had allowed Schlissel to go into a courtyard with two other prisoners serving sentences for convictions related to organized crime. The two men and Schlissel began arguing over his murder of Banki, resulting in the men repeatedly punching Schlissel in the face until guards intervened to stop them.
Schlissel was transported to Assaf Harofeh Medical Center outside Tel Aviv and treated for minor injuries. An ultra-Orthodox Jew who is fervent about his conservative religious beliefs, Schlissel was also hospitalized last month with unspecified injuries after a fight with another inmate.
He allegedly tore up photos of that inmate’s daughters, saying the girls were “dressed immodestly,” sparking the altercation.
In response to that incident, the prison warden placed Schlissel in solitary confinement for several days, and later decided to separate him from other inmates by giving him his own cell.
Throughout his adult life, Schlissel has shown a propensity for engaging in violence that he says is motivated by his religious faith. In 2005, he went on another stabbing attack at the Jerusalem Pride Parade because of his opposition to homosexuality.
Although no one was killed, he served 10 years in prison. Days before the 2015 parade, he wrote an anti-gay manifesto that called the pride march “shameful” and “blasphemous,” and implied he would carry out another attack.
After being arrested for the stabbings and indicted for Banki’s murder, Schlissel refused to recognize the legal standing of the court, saying it does not abide by Jewish law. He was sentenced in June of this year, refusing to show remorse for his actions.
“The parade is what brings the terror attacks and the intifadas down on us, it’s what causes God’s wrath,” Schlissel said. “I strive to act out of my love for God, and gay pride parades are a source of hatred toward God and toward the Jewish people.”
Related: Jewish community reacts to Jerusalem Pride stabbings
Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
