Man arrested for planning ‘terror attack’ at Tel Aviv Pride parade

Israeli police on June 3, 2017, arrested a man from a predominantly ultra-Orthodox city who allegedly planned to carry out an attack during the Tel Aviv Pride parade. (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers)

Israeli police on June 3 arrested a man who allegedly threatened to carry out a “terror attack” during this week’s Tel Aviv Pride parade.

The Times of Israel reported the 20-year-old man from Bnei Brak, a primarily ultra-Orthodox city that is located a few miles east of Tel Aviv, made the threat on his Facebook page. The newspaper said the man wrote in Hebrew, “Who’s coming with me to carry out a terror attack at the Pride march?”

Ynetnews, an Israeli news website, reported the man wrote in another Facebook post that he was “bored.”

More than 200,000 people are expected to attend the parade on Friday.

The Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality fully sponsors the parade, which is the largest Pride celebration in the Middle East. This year’s event will be the world’s first bisexual-themed Pride parade.

Yishai Schlissel, an ultra-Orthodox Jew, killed Shira Banki, a 16-year-old teenager, and injured six others during the 2015 Jerusalem Pride parade. Schlissel stabbed three people during the same event in 2005.

The 2015 attack took place less than a month after Schlissel completed a 10-year prison sentence in connection with the 2005 stabbings. A Jerusalem court last June sentenced Schlissel to life in prison plus 31 years for the 2015 attack.

“We face hate against LGBT people all year long, but as Pride month is here, the level of hate is on the increase,” the Aguda, the Israeli National LGBT Task Force, told the Washington Blade on Tuesday.

The Aguda said the Nir Katz Report Center, which it operates, is working with the Israeli police to ensure “that each report will receive an immediate and effective response.” The organization told the Blade it is collaborating with other advocacy groups to “extend our anti-hate activity to all fields, and increase awareness among those celebrating and participating in the Pride events.”

“We will continue to march with pride and with no fear for our rights, equality and freedom — for ourselves and all those different in our society,” said the Aguda.

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