Gay parade marchers stabbed in Jerualem

TEL AVIV, Israel, July 1 (UPI) -- An annual gay parade in Jerusalem was temporarily halted Thursday when a religious Jewish man stabbed three participants, Israel Radio reported.

The assailant ran into the crowd, stabbed a man, moved to a young woman and stabbed her hand, and then slightly wounded a third man. Police arrested him and 12 oher other religious protesters disturbance of the peace, the Haaretz newspaper said.

Some 200 religious protesters faced 2,000 participants in the parade.

Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski opposed the parade but a court ordered him to cancel the ban and pay $6,666 in court costs.

Saar Netanel -- the openly gay chairman of the Jerusalem branch of Israel's liberal Meretz party -- said he "felt tremendous satisfaction" that Lupolianski was ordered to pay the fine out of his own pocket, Haaretz reported.