Once again the Peleg Yerushalmi have blocked a major Jerusalem intersection. Some 300 protesters from the extremist group decided to block the Bar Ilan intersection on Sunday evening on the last night of Chanukah. They sat on the road and danced while singing Chanukah songs.
Police who arrived at the scene, including mounted police, have already made three arrests. Peleg has stated that the protest is once again being held in solidarity with Yehuda Elimelech Tomback, who was arrested for draft-dodging and received a light sentence of only two months imprisonment.
Last Motzei Shabbos, hundreds of Peleg supporters held a protest outside of Prison 4 complete with a loud-speaker system. The protesters shouted encouragement to the “prisoner of the Torah world”. That protest was held with police permission and without blocking any roads.
A police spokesperson issued a statement about Sunday’s protests: “Police officers are active at the intersection of Bar Ilan and Ohalei Yosef Streets due to a protest that is being held at the intersection. During the protest, numerous people who were disturbing the peace attempted to block the road. Officers at the scene arrested three of them and are working to keep all roads open.