Following the publication in Israel Hayom about police violence on the Temple Mount during a tour of Bidinu for the Temple Mount, a number of Knesset members wrote to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Police Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai and National Security Committee Chairman Zvika Fogel, demanding action to change the problematic situation on the Mount as soon as possible.
Unusual incident on the Temple Mount: Policeman beats youths and takes their cell phones \\ Photo: Courtesy of Bidinu
In the letter, initiated by Constitution Committee Chairman MK Simcha Rotman and joined by MKs Ariel Kelner, Tali Gottlieb, Ohad Tal, Amit Halevy and Dan Illouz, they referred to documentation published in Israel Hayom.
Ben-Gvir: "There is a change for the better"
"In the documentation, the Jewish immigrants to the Mount encountered severe violence by the Temple Mount police. The footage shows a police officer turning off the body camera, approaching and brutally beating a young boy who is not noticed. In addition, the police officers are observed trying to snatch their cell phones from the hands and pockets of immigrants by force and use threats and explicit language against them."
"Such a reality, after two thousand years of exile, cannot exist in a Jewish state. The Declaration of Independence states that the State of Israel "shall ensure freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture. Take care of the holy places of all religions.' I will ask for clarification of the matter as soon as possible and, if necessary, a meeting of the National Security Committee to discuss the issue," Rothman wrote in a letter joined by Knesset members.
Jewish immigration to the Temple Mount Rosh Chodesh Sivan, photo: Naama Stern
On Friday, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also addressed claims by those who ascend to the Temple Mount, who claim that there has been more harassment by the police recently than in the past.
"In the months I've been in office, there's been a change for the better," he said. "There is a dramatic change in the timetable for Jews to ascend to the Mount. I understand that the expectations from me are enormous and therefore any other change for the better is not counted, but the change of times alone is a very significant step for the better, which has not been for many years and by any measure is a big move."
Police camera footage: Young men prostrate themselves on the Temple Mount and are arrested \\ Photo: Police Spokesperson's Office
He praised the district and Temple Mount officers and policemen "who work many hours every day anew to enable every Jew who comes to the Temple Mount to ascend safely." According to Ben-Gvir, "It is clear that there are cases that I dislike very much and demand clear and answers, but overall I am under the impression that my policy is permeating and that the police and the entire level of the district, from the first to the last, are implementing it – albeit slowly – implementing the things I outline."
Tom Nissani, executive director of Bidinu for the Temple Mount, said that "it is inconceivable that we will accept a reality of restricting and destroying freedom of religion in Israel, not in Tel Aviv but not on the Temple Mount either. I thank the Knesset members who are working on this issue and expect decision makers, headed by the minister of national security, to investigate the serious incident and lead to the dismissal of the police officers involved in destroying the evidence and beating the minors."
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