On the morning of Tuesday 10 Elul, Jerusalem District Court Judge Alexander Ron accepted the appeal filed by Honenu Attorney Menasheh Yado on the Hozrim LaHar (Returning to Har Habayis) activist distanced from the Old City of Jerusalem for 30 days for davening near the gates to Har Habayis.

Despite the fact that the police claimed that the individual is a dominant activist who has arrived many times to pray in the Old City, Judge Ron ruled that as with the three young women distanced from the Old City under similar circumstances whose case was judged the same morning, there is no cause to distance him. Judge Ron also stated that it is difficult to rule that prayer constitutes a criminal violation.

Judge Ron canceled the distancing order, but left standing the bail conditions that were signed in the case. The police requested a delay in carrying out the decision in order to allow time to consider filing an appeal with the Supreme Court.

Honenu Attorney Menasheh Yado: “I welcome the [Jerusalem] District Court’s decision according to which Jewish prayer in the Muslim Quarter cannot constitute a criminal violation. It is unfortunate that we have reached days such as these in which the question is raised as to whether or not a Jew is permitted to pray close to the Temple Mount.”

Gedolei Yisrael over the generations and the Chief Rabbinate of Israel prohibit visiting Har Habayis.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)