On Wednesday, 9 Sivan a Jewish youth ascended Har Habayis with a group of friends. According to him a policeman from the Old City District by the name Husam followed him very closely, claimed that he recognized him from a previous incident, and told him, “Cause trouble. I want to detain you.” The youth took out his camera and asked the policeman to repeat what he had said, but the policeman refused. According to the youth he tried to distance himself from the policeman during his visit in order to prevent friction between them, however the policeman continued to follow him.
In the end the policeman informed the youth that he was being detained on suspicion of obstructing a policeman in the line of duty and claimed that the youth called him “a stinking Arab,” which the youth completely denies. The youth requested legal counsel from Honenu. The same day Honenu attorney Rehavia Piltz filed a complaint with the Police Investigation Unit on the policeman who, according to the youth, harassed and framed him.
In the complaint Piltz stated that the policeman’s conduct should be examined due to the possibility that he committed a criminal offense. “In light of the policeman’s claim of prior acquaintance between them, the conduct of the policeman indicates that there is more than a slight chance that he fabricated the incident,” wrote Piltz. “This conduct and ‘framing’ a citizen who did no wrong is unacceptable. I demand that you fully investigate this incident and bring to justice the policeman whose conduct was improper.”
Gedolei HaPoskim throughout the ages including Gedolei Hador Shlita today have ruled it is absolutely forbidden to visit Har Habayis, even if one does so in line with Halacha including tevila. This is also the ruling of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. This is an Issur Kares.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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One Response
I am not in agreement with going onto the Har Habayis however I don’t know if it’s accurate as well as intelligent to say it’s a straightforward issur karas. Are you telling me that there is no one around over 60 years old that went up? Please don’t minimize yiidishkeit and its halachos.