Far-rightists threaten Jerusalem Pride March
A series of threats have been issued by far-right individuals against the Jerusalem March for Pride and Tolerance leading up to the event in the nation’s capital set to take place on Thursday afternoon.
Security has been tightened for the annual event ever since Haredi extremist Yishai Schlissel stabbed 16-year-old Shira Banki to death during the Pride Parade in 2015.
Some 2,000 Jerusalem District police and Border Police will be assigned to provide strict security along the parade route. The Border Police contingent will include both uniformed and plainclothes officers and they will be joined by volunteers.
Festivities will start at Liberty Bell Park at 3 p.m., and the march will leave from there at 5 p.m. continuing onto King David Street, Keren Hayesod Street, King George Avenue, Hillel Street, Menashe Ben-Israel Street and finally finishing at Independence Park.
There will be four entry and exit points along the route. Barring emergencies, individuals will be strictly regulated to enter or exit at those points. Security officers will be stationed at each point to conduct security checks as needed.
No weapons of any kind or drones will be allowed near the march.
On Monday, the far-right Lehava organization called on supporters of the organization to join a protest against the march, stating “Jerusalem is not Sodom!” The protest takes place at Bloomfield Garden across from the entrance to Liberty Bell Park, where the Pride and Tolerance march begins.
A joint investigation by N12 and the FakeReporter initiative found that individuals in a number of right-wing WhatsApp and Telegram groups had made threatening statements against the march.
One individual in a group called Jews Won’t Stay Silent shared an advertisement for the Lehava protest, adding a message reading “the deadly Thursday.” FakeReporter found that the individual is a man named Michael Ishakov who has been arrested in the past for calling for the massacre of anti-judicial reform protesters.
At least one individual has been arrested ahead of the march because of threats he made. The man has since been released with a restraining order distancing him from all Pride events.
Anti-LGBTQ activists were granted permission to hold a counter-protest at Bloomfield Garden on King David Street. Police emphasized that they will “act decisively against any party that tries to violate the order and hinder the proper course of the parade.”
ISRAEL POLICE International Spokesman Master Sgt. Dean Elsdunne explained to The Jerusalem Post that “We want everyone to enjoy this event. It’s something that’s taken place for many years.” This sentiment was echoed by Jerusalem District Police Spokesman Chief Superintendent Idan Ilouz, who assured the Post that the police force’s primary focus was to keep everyone safe and keep the parade route secure.
The Jerusalem Open House, which organizes the annual parade, confirmed that they had a positive experience cooperating with the police. “The police have not posed any issues,” the Open House’s Elon Yichiel told the Post. “We are sure that they [will] do everything [they can] in order to be there and protect the marchers.”
The march will be star-studded this year, with artists such as Ran Danker, Ivri Lider, Shahar Tavoch, Roni Duani, Etty Biton and Rinat Bar starring on the main stage and MKs Yair Lapid, Benny Gantz and Meirav Michaeli participating in the opening ceremony.
The event preparations were briefly interrupted on Sunday evening when National Security Minister Itamar BenGvir informed Police Chief Kobi Shabtai that he intended to “closely and vigilantly” monitor police conduct during the march. This was seen by police officials as overstepping and received sharp criticism, Israeli media said. The Open House sent a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressing concern over Ben-Gvir’s involvement.
The event will begin at Liberty Bell Park and at 5 p.m. it process up Keren Hayesod Street to Paris Square and King George St., before turning onto Hillel Street and heading to Independence Park, for the closing event.
Volunteers from the “Mothers Against Violence” group will be present to prevent LGBTQ-phobic acts during and after the march.