Jerusalem Municipality officials approved adding the name of Shira Banki, who was murdered at the 2015 Jerusalem Pride Parade, to the city’s official names registry, and gave initial backing to commemorate her in the area where the attack took place, the municipality said on Sunday.
The precise location will be decided later, in line with municipal procedures.
Banki was 15 when she was stabbed during the Jerusalem Pride and Tolerance Parade in 2015. Six other marchers were also wounded in the knife attack carried out by Yishai Schlissel, who had previously been convicted over a similar assault at a Pride event.
Banki joined the march, her family and supporters have said, out of a belief in human rights, tolerance, and acceptance of others. Her parents later established the “Derech Shira Banki” nonprofit, which works to advance moderation, tolerance, and respectful public discourse in Israel.
Years after Shira Banki's death, Israel still works to accommodate complexity
Uri Banki, Shira’s father, said that in the years since her death, Israel and other democracies have faced increasingly heated and extreme public discourse that struggles to accommodate complexity.
He thanked Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion and Deputy Mayor Adir Schwartz for what he described as an ongoing partnership with the nonprofit’s work, and for the municipal decision.
“We were very moved by the initiative to commemorate Shira Banki in Jerusalem,” Hadas Blomendal, chair of the Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance, said, calling it a fitting way to honor Banki in the city where she grew up and where her family lives. She said it also serves as a reminder that violence of any kind is unacceptable in Jerusalem.