President Isaac Herzog arrived on Thursday at the Jerusalem Pride Parade, marking the first time an Israeli President has attended the parade. Together with First Lady Michal Herzog, he visited the site where Shira Banki was murdered, marking ten years since the tragic killing.
In July 2015, Shira, only 15 years old, was murdered by an extremist who fatally stabbed her and injured six other participants in the parade.
“We came here to remember and to remind others of a beautiful Israeli girl who came to do good—Shira Banki, of blessed memory—who was murdered here ten years ago. Her sole purpose was to do good and spread light in the world. I want to thank her parents and her wonderful family because they spread goodness and do good all year round—through encouragement, dialogue, discussion, and love among people and for the people of Israel, the President said upon arriving at the site.
He declared: “We must establish a golden rule: there is absolutely no place for violence. There is no dialogue with violence. We are not willing to accept violence in our society. I know there is violence, and we are here to eradicate it. We demand love, respect, and equality—also for the LGBTQ+ community, which is an inseparable part of Israeli society, and for all groups in Israeli society, who must learn to exchange words and spread great love."
Herzog added: “On this day, we also remember and remind others of our hostages in Gaza—56 of them. We want to see them all home, every last one of them. Those alive to be returned to heal, and the fallen to be laid to rest in dignity.
“And from here, I ask the entire public in Israel to show restraint, to show love, to show compassion. In the end, we are all meant to live together, and that is our mission. And maybe that is also the message of dear Shira.”