Temple Mt activists arrested for attempt to sacrifice goats praise Ben-Gvir’s illegal action to free them

Temple Mount activists participate in the sacrifice ceremony for Passover in 2023

Josh Breiner and Nir Hasson report in Haaretz on 24 April 2024:

Right-wing Israeli activists who were arrested on Monday for trying to sacrifice a goat on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem gloated that National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir intervened to assure their release.

A police officer had already informed the suspects’ attorneys that they would be held in remand over the holiday, but they were released a short time later.

A correspondence in a Temple Mount activists’ WhatsApp group claimed this was “thanks to the intervention of Minister Ben-Gvir.” The High Court of Justice has ruled in the past that Ben-Gvir is prohibited from intervening in operative police decisions, but only delineate policy.

The three activists were arrested on suspicion of planning to slaughter goats at Temple Mount in an attempt to offer a Passover sacrifice and taken to the David District police station.

Right-wing legal aid group Honenu issued a statement at 5:51 P.M., stating that the police officer had informed the lawyers that the three men would remain in custody for the holiday.  “This is an outrageous arrest based purely on revenge. The Israel Police deliberately delayed the interrogation of the youths in order to prevent judicial review of the arrest, which constitutes an illegal detention,” a statement from Honenu read.

Less than an hour later, however, police released the three suspects, and at 6:38 P.M. two right-wing activists in two different WhatsApp groups announced that the decision had been made thanks to Ben-Gvir.

“Thank God they were released due to pressure, in part due to the intervention of Minister Ben-Gvir,” wrote Avraham Yitzhak Grossman, a well-known right-wing activist. Arnon Segal, a prominent activist for Jewish ascension to the Temple Mount, wrote in another group: “They were released thanks to Ben-Gvir’s intervention.”

One of the arrested activists is Raphael Morris, chairman of the Return to the Mount movement. Morris said that the officers had already informed him and his two accomplices that they would remain in custody, but that “the decision was reversed” after Ben-Gvir was approached on the matter.  “With the intervention of senior officials, we were released, I don’t know for sure that it was Ben-Gvir, but he was approached and said he would try to help and after a few minutes the decision was reversed,” Morris said.

The High Court has explicitly prohibited Ben-Gvir from interfering in operative decisions of the Israel Police, stating that he may only delineate policy. Ben-Gvir, whose spokesperson is himself a Temple Mount activist, works extensively in favor of Jews ascending the Mount.  His wife Ayala is also considered a prominent Temple Mount activist. She is also believed to be close to Jerusalem District officers due to her work on a “steering committee” on the issue, which works in cooperation with the Israel Police David District station.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir at Temple Mount last year.Credit: Minhelet Har-Habait (Temple Mount Administration) / AFP
Return to the Mount said that about 25 activists were arrested on Monday on their way to the Temple Mount with seven goats destined for slaughter.

Some of the activists were caught inside the Old City, not far from the gates to the compound. Every Passover, Return to the Mount activists try to enter the Temple Mount with goats intended for slaughter and are arrested by the police. This year the number of activists and goats was much higher than in previous years.

A police spokesperson said: “Last night, Jerusalem District police detained more than 20 suspects of various ages and brought them in for interrogation on suspicion of intention to disturb public order on the Temple Mount. During operations throughout the city, officers identified a number of suspects in various locations and seized goats in their possession. The suspects were taken for further questioning to Jerusalem District and the David District, and the goats were taken for veterinary treatment. After the suspects were questioned, a police officer determined by virtue of his legal authority to conditionally release them. The investigation is ongoing.”

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir did not respond to a request for comment by Haaretz.

This article is reproduced in its entirety