Temple Mount Activist Sues Israeli Police for Illegal Restraint After Court-Ordered Release
A Temple Mount activist, a settler and father of four, filed a civil lawsuit for 42,000 shekels against the Israel Police and Prison Service on Monday. Represented by attorney Eladi Weizel from the Honenu organization, the plaintiff alleges he was handcuffed and leg-shackled, detained for hours, and returned to a detention cell even after a court ordered his immediate release.
The incident occurred during Passover when the activist arrived with his family in Jerusalem's Old City. He had previously received a ban from approaching the Temple Mount area via a WhatsApp message from an unknown number about a month after the event. The order forbade him from entering the "approaches to the Temple Mount," but did not include a map defining the boundaries. The activist prayed about 20 meters from the police checkpoint at the Chain Gate but was detained by officers. Despite not resisting, fleeing, or acting violently, he was handcuffed and taken to the Kishle police station, where he remained restrained for approximately seven hours.
During his detention, he attempted to contact his wife, who stayed in the Old City with their four children, including a two-month-old infant. The lawsuit claims a police officer held his hand while a Border Police officer tried to seize his phone. When his wife arrived at the station, she was told her husband was already represented by Honenu, which delayed legal assistance and his release. He was then transferred to the Russian Compound prison and held overnight.
The following day, the court rejected the police's request to extend his ban and ordered his unconditional release. The judge noted that attaching a map to the ban would have eliminated any doubts or concerns. Nonetheless, the lawsuit states that officers re-handcuffed him and returned him to a holding cell for an additional hour after the court order.
Attorney Weizel condemned the police's actions as a serious failure that unjustly punishes law-abiding citizens, resulting in wrongful detention, humiliating restraints, and severe harm to the activist's family. He called on the police to stop the reckless use of such punitive orders and to respect the rights and dignity of those affected.
