On Thursday 6 Marcheshvan, five Temple Mount Faithful activists were detained when they attempted to go up onto Har Habayis to daven for the recovery of Rabbi Yehuda Glick, who was shot and very seriously injured in an assassination attempt by an Arab the previous day. The police demanded a restraining order banning the five activists from the area of Har Habayis for 45 days.

Honenu attorney Rehavia Piltz, who represented the detainees, said during a court deliberation on Thursday that there was no justification for banning them from Har Habayis and that the police are attempting to calm the rioting Arabs by using an iron fist against Jews who would like to go up onto the holy site.

On Friday, 7 Marcheshvan, Jerusalem Magistrate Court Judge Elazar Nachalon rejected the police demand, accepted Piltz’s pleas, ruled that there was no cause for ordering a restraining order banning the detainees from the Har Habayis and released them. Judge Nachalon ordered that the detainees post 500 NIS bail in order to ensure that they appear for interrogation and deliberations in the event that they are required to do so.

Honenu attorney Rehavia Piltz responded to the ruling: “The attempt by the police to ban the detainees from Har Habayis did not succeed. The court ruled that there is no justification for restricting their entrance to the holy site. I hope that the police do not attempt to calm the situation by harassing Jews who wanted to protest prohibiting the entry of Jews to Har Habayis while opening it to Muslims.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)