A district court ruled in favor of Hebron resident and activist attorney Itamar Ben-Givir, instructing the Temple Mount Waqf Authority to pay Ben-Givir NIS 56,800 for harassment.

Ben-Givir filed a lawsuit against the Waqf for an incident which occurred last Sukkos as he and others were visiting Har Habayis. “Members of the Waqf stood close by us against our will, following us from the moment we entered the area, harassing the Jewish visitors without authority, without justification and against the law” he maintained in the lawsuit.

Ben-Givir maintained that during the visit they were scoffed, adding he overheard on the two-way police radio “Who does that Ben-Givir think he is? Don’t speak to him. Let him go complain to the police internal investigation’s unit. You don’t him an explanation”.

Ben-Givir explained that Israel Police assigned to Har Habayis are responsible to enforce the law and maintain the peace on the holy site, which is under Israeli sovereignty and law. He called on police to distance the Muslims who attached themselves to his group, referring to members of the Waqf who was following his every move. In response they began shouting “Ala Akbar” as Ben-Givir responded with “Am Yisrael Chai”. The Jerusalem Magistrate Court ruled this was not incitement.

This prompted the Waqf officials to order Israel Police to oust Ben-Givir and instead of protecting him and the Jewish delegation from the Arabs, police obliged and distanced Ben-Givir from Har Habayis. The following day police requested to distance Ben-Givir from the holy site but the court refused. The court ordered that he receive monetary compensation as well as well as reimbursing him for legal fees.

Ben-Givir earlier in February was awarded NIS 32,000 in another Har Habayis related lawsuit.

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

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)