On Tuesday 6 Tammuz, a Jewish minor walking from the Kosel towards Shar Shechem was approached by police detectives on HaGai Street who requested his ID card, informed him that he was forbidden to walk on that street and that he must return to the Kosel.
After several minutes more detectives arrived, led by an officer who informed the minor that he was walking a “spontaneous Circling the Gates”. The officer ordered him to return to the Kosel and refused to justify the order.
The minor requested permission to continue walking on HaGai Street, but the officer told him that he must return to the Kosel only or else he would be detained for not obeying a policeman. The minor replied that he would like to know the legal justification for requiring him to return to the Western Wall or else he would not return. At that the officer ordered him detained and taken to the police station.
Honenu reports that after interrogation the interrogators asked the minor to sign on an order banning him from entering the Old City of Jerusalem. He refused on the grounds that he had not violated any law and there are no grounds for the order. In response the interrogators informed Attorney Nati Rom, who is handling the case on behalf of Honenu, that the minor will be kept in remand overnight and brought to a deliberation the following morning.
Attorney Rom immediately filed an urgent appeal on the decision with the court describing the incident and requesting that the deliberation take place the same day and that the minor be released immediately. Jerusalem Magistrate Court Judge Keren Miller ruled that the police must respond to the appeal by 17:30.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
Almost the same thing happened to my son about two weeks ago. One Sunday early afternoon he wanted to go to the Kotel to daven mincha. So as is our family minhag he wanted to go through the arab shuk to the kotel. We feel that a Jewish presence is needed all over Eretz Yiroel. As he approached the entrance an arab policeman stopped him and said he can not enter. My son asked why he said I don’t have to answer you my son said so why can all these other people go in. The other people being tourists and charedi individuals dressed as they do. But my son looks a bit more Dati Leumei so they refused him entrance. The cop asked him for his tudat zehut and he asked why he said either you give it to me or leave or I will arrest you. My son was smart enough to leave before the cop called in reinforcements, to arrest a 16 year old. I assume it was Bashert as my son says since he was compelled to go through the Jewish quarter, he was able to help some Jewish tourists find St. James st and get to the Kotel.
#1, this just proves that the Zionists goal is to hurt Yahadus they allow an armed Arab to harass and almost arrest a Yid just wishing to daven to Aybishter, for this all these Jewish boys died fighting for so that Arabs can go to al-Aqsa and Christians to visit Yoshka’s kever but for a Yid to be stopped from davening to the Aybishter?
#1: Please don’t dignify the practice of walking through the Arab shuk by calling it a “minhag”.
You are asking for trouble if you walk through the shuk. Its a tense experience you never know when the arabs will pounce. So take an extra 10mins and walk the long way round!!!