The issue began with an unwritten decision by the Jerusalem Police according to which Jews who were detained on Har Habayis, including detainees whom the court ruled were falsely detained, would not be allowed to return to the site.

Several Jews who had been banned without legal cause from ascending the Temple Mount and who were not granted a hearing turned to Honenu for assistance. Honenu attorney Menasheh Yado demanded that the police inform them of the reason for the ban. The police refused to handle the many complaints and for months completely ignored the letters, messages and phone calls from Honenu.

Approximately two weeks ago Yado’s patience ran out and he filed a complaint with the Public Complaints Department of the Jerusalem District Police in which he detailed the previous complaints which the police had ignored. The complaint was successful. The commander of the Merchav David (Old City) Police ‘remembered’ the pile of complaints that had been filed over previous months.

The following day Yado suddenly received a letter from the commander stating that on the same morning a check had been carried out and the seven Jews on whose behalf Yado filed the complaint are allowed to ascend Har Habayis. During the past few days they have returned to Har Habayis. Some of them had been illegally banned for many months.

Honenu notes that several civil suits have already been filed over bans on ascending Har Habayis, cases of false detention and other injustices. In the next few days, with the start of the judicial year, several more suits will be filed.

Honenu attorney Menasheh Yado stated that, “The conduct of the police in this matter violates a widespread variety of rights of the public, thereby forcing individuals to cope with an unhealthy law enforcement system. We hope that we will be able to continue to successfully represent the members of the public who continue to turn to Honenu with complaints about the severe violations of their rights on Har Habayis.”

It is added that Gedolei Yisrael throughout the generations have ruled one may not visit Har Habayis. This is the ruling of Gedolei Yisrael today as well, in addition to being the position of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)