Several senior police officers will be reprimanded and reassigned over their failure to prevent the July 30 stabbing attack at the Jerusalem Pride Parade that killed 16-year-old Shira Banki and wounded five others, the Israel Police committee investigating the attack recommended on Sunday. Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan has accepted the recommendations. Banki and the five other victims were attacked by Yishai Schlissel, an ultra-Orthodox man who had been released from prison only two months earlier after having served 10 years for a similar attack in 2005, in which he stabbed three people. An internal inquiry, headed by former Deputy Police Commissioner Yisrael Yitzhak, found a series of intelligence and operational failures that resulted in the attack. The committee's report recommends reprimanding Jerusalem District Police Commander Maj. Gen. Moshe Edri, "who is operationally responsible for the district, and was responsible for the ambiguity created in the jurisdiction of the subdistricts with regard to securing the parade." A commander's remark, a measure taken over serious operational failures, will be included in Edri's service record, and according to police insiders it may have a detrimental effect on Edri's future chances of being considered for the position of police commissioner. The report also recommends removing Moriah Subdistrict Police Commander Kobi Davidian from his position, denying him promotion for the next five years, and denying him any major command in the future. Zion Subdistrict Police Commander Ephraim Havivian will receive a commander's remark in his service record, over his sector's intelligence failures. The head of the Jerusalem District Police's Intelligence Division, Chief Superintendent Doron Moshe, will be reassigned and denied promotion for seven years "as he failed to perform his duty as well as follow the district commander's direct orders," the report says. Chief Superintendent Doron Shalom, head of the Police Investigations and Intelligence Division's Coordination Center, who decided to remove Schlissel's name from the threat assessment performed ahead of the parade, will be reassigned as well. Shalom was slated to attend advanced officers' training in coming weeks. According to police sources, his participation in the program has been suspended. Chief Superintendent Shai Alally, head of the Jerusalem District Central Unit, and Moriah Subdistrict Chief Intelligence Officer Superintendent Tzachi Halfon will be reassigned. Moriah Subdistrict Chief Operations Officer Superintendent Shlomo Bachar will receive a commander's remark in his service record, as will Zion Subdistrict Chief Intelligence Officer Superintendent Yitzhak Shemayah. Several officers who were responsible for securing the area where the attack took place will also be reassigned. "Shira Banki's death and the injuries sustained by the other victims was a very serious incident that could have been prevented, which is why this incident demanded investigation and drawing personal conclusions, even if they are unprecedented in scope," Erdan said Sunday. Acting police commissioner Maj. Gen. Benzi Sau said the pride parade stabbing "was a tragic incident that should never have happened. The Israel Police can investigate itself and hold itself accountable." Commenting on the recommendations, Edri said, "We each must study the findings and implement them in full. As I told the inquiry committee and the district's officers, as Jerusalem District Police commander I am operationally responsible for everything that happens in the sector, and I accept the findings regarding my part in the events." The other sanctioned officers are said to be planning to appeal the findings before the acting commissioner, and should this fail, to pursue a High Court of Justice appeal. Some of the officers told Israel Hayom that the Jerusalem District Police's Central Unit should have been made to bear the brunt of the consequences, as it was its intelligence gathering apparatus that failed. Others said Edri was to blame, as he failed to ensure that the Central Unit, which does not report to either the Zion or Moriah subdistricts, placed Schlissel under surveillance. "This would be very funny if it wasn't so sad," attorney Yehuda Shoshan, who represent Havivian, said Sunday. He said the committee erred in placing blame with the subdistrict police commanders, saying that his client, as well as the other officers who are slated to be reassigned, would appeal the findings.
Banki's parents, Uri and Mika, issued a short statement following the findings' release, saying, "This won't bring Shira back. All we can hope for is that whatever failures were found will be repaired, and that the lessons learned will be implemented thoroughly, to prevent such a thing from ever happening again."
