Jerusalem Court Orders Freeze on Enforcement Against Bars in Mahane Yehuda Market

The Jerusalem District Court, sitting as an administrative court, issued an interim injunction on Wednesday in response to a petition filed by bar owners in the Mahane Yehuda market against the Jerusalem Municipality. The petition challenged the municipality's new enforcement procedures in the area. The court ordered the municipality to immediately halt all enforcement actions under the new municipal regulations, which had been the subject of the petitioners' complaints. These regulations included restrictions on playing music outside businesses between 9 PM and 11 PM on most days and strict conditions on placing chairs and tables on the street.

Additionally, the court instructed the municipality to cease confiscating sound equipment from the petitioning bar owners until further notice. The presiding judge noted that the full reasoning behind the decision would be published alongside the final verdict. However, the judge also informed the parties that there might be a slight delay in issuing the final ruling due to a heavy caseload at the end of the current judicial year.