As reported by YWN-ISRAEL, three Jewish girls were arrested by police on 2 Rosh Chodesh Elul after trying to daven in the area of the Lion’s Gate of Jerusalem’s Old City. They were told they were disturbing the peace.

Honenu intervened, questioning how Jews can be arrested for exercising freedom of worship.

Police on Wednesday morning 11 Elul announced that they retract earlier statements and Jews may indeed daven in the Muslim Quarter. This was the result of Honenu challenging the legality of the Israel Police policy.

The prosecutor and police notified attorney Itamar Ben-Givir and attorney Menashe Yado that they will not appeal a court decision not to distance the girls from the Old City as police requested.

On Tuesday, Ben-Givir appealed a magistrate court decision, explaining it was contrary to freedom of worship. District Court Justice Ron Alexander accepted the appeal, explaining the first condition for a restraining order is a crime and davening is not a crime. The District Court overturned the Magistrate’s decision and the girls are not distanced from the Old City and they may daven there with the court’s blessings.

Police asked to delay implementation of the decision to permit it time to appeal the decision to the High Court of Justice. On Wednesday morning however, police explained there would not be an appeal filed in the case.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)