Jerusalem Faction Threatens High Court Petition Over Road 4 Clashes

The Jerusalem Faction said on Wednesday that it fully backs protesters who were arrested and injured during the demonstration on Route 4, and warned it could petition Israel’s High Court of Justice if what it called police violence continues. The group said, "No use of force will succeed in breaking the spirit of the protesters," and said it would pursue legal action against the responsible officials if the police conduct does not stop.

At the same time, MK Meir Porush sent an urgent letter to the chairman of the Knesset National Security Committee, MK Tzvika Fogel, calling for an emergency hearing with senior police officials over the incidents. Porush said there is a major gap between police treatment of Haredi protests and the way officers handle other demonstrations.

In his letter, Porush said that while police had shown months of restraint toward left-wing protests and road blockages, the response in this case was unusually forceful. He wrote that the removal of protesters from Route 4 "crossed every red line" and was intended not to maintain public order, but to apply pressure and deter through force.

Porush said he had received many testimonies and recordings describing harsh police methods. He said police allegedly fired stun grenades directly at people sitting on the asphalt, beat protesters with batons, and dragged them aggressively, leaving some injured, bruised and bleeding, with torn clothing. He demanded that police commanders appear before the committee soon and explain what he called selective enforcement.