A year after an Orthodox Jewish man attacked Jerusalem Pride, injuring five people and killing 16-year-old Shira Banki, security has been beefed up for this year's celebration.

Additional police officers will be stationed at the parade, which takes place tomorrow, with additional checkpoints to protect participants' safety.

Earlier this year Yishai Schlissel, a member of the ultra-orthodox Haredi sect, was sentenced to life in prison for attacking the parade. Just weeks earlier he had been freed from prison, where was serving time for stabbing several people at the city’s Pride parade in 2005.

Critics complained police hesitated to take Schlissel down because they saw he was Orthodox.

Jerusalem's LGBT celebration is considerably smaller than the one in Tel Aviv, but its role as a Holy City for three world religions has made the city's Pride event a source of controversy.

In fact Mayor Nir Barkat says he won't attend the event because it is offensive to religious people.

“I won’t march because I don’t want to be part of the harm to the ultra-Orthodox public and the Religious-Zionist public," he said.

"Tolerance is not just letting people march; it’s also looking for the way to get what you want without offending others opinions, or others feelings. In Jerusalem, there’s a large population who has a really hard time with the parade.”

Critics attacked his decision to stay away, especially in the wake of the terrorist attack last year. But Barkat, like his right-wing counterparts in America, thinks religious bigots are the real victims.

"You’re basically coming and asking me to be part of the harm caused to the ultra-Orthodox and Religious-Zionist population. And I say no. I don’t want to harm that population."

He insisted, however, that he'd do everything in his power to make sure Jerusalem Pride went off without a hitch.