Schlissel left two people in serious condition.
A decade ago, he wounded three marchers not far from the spot of his most recent attack. He was only released a month ago — a testament to his fanatical hatred of homosexuals and extreme religious beliefs. He explained to police that as a faithful Jew he had come “to kill in the name of God.” He was released from prison a month ago.
Orthodox Jews have long targeted Gay Pride marches for protests, though recently in New York the community actually hired Latino men to dress them up as Orthodox Jews to protest for them. An ultra-Orthodox news website referred to the Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade on Thursday as “the Parade of Abomination.” Muslim and Christian groups also denounced the parade.
After stabbing his victims, Schlissel reportedly told people to get out of the way so he could escape.
Notably, the Orthodox community did not appear to shun Schlissel. Instead, he was interviewed on an ultra-Orthodox radio service nearly two weeks ago, and he used the occasion to assure fellow Ultra-Orthodox believers that “The battle is not over. Those unclean people want to continue defiling Jerusalem.” He also insisted that people must go to confront the people in the parade and that the goal must be “to disperse them, even by force.” None of that appears to have led the government to put him under surveillance or cause other Ultra-Orthodox Jews to call the police. Those are questions that are now being asked by many.