Two activists from the "Return to the Mount" movement were arrested on Tuesday night after putting up notices in Arabic in the Old City of Jerusalem offering payment to anyone willing to store lambs for the Paschal sacrifice.
A copy of the notice posted by the movement on Twitter reads: "Do you have a yard or extra room? Want to earn easy income on the side? A place is needed to store lambs in the Old City near the holy shrine (al-Aqsa Mosque)." The notice includes a phone number to call for more details.
התחלנו להתארגן לפסח! הלילה הפצנו בעיר העתיקה וברשתות החברתיות מודעה בערבית בה אנו מציעים תשלום עבור אכסון גדי עבורנו. שווה לא?#קרבן_פסח_תשפג pic.twitter.com/vQB3gaFSsy
— חוזרים להר (@CozrimLahar) March 22, 2023
According to the Honenu legal aid organization, the two were brought to a hearing on their case at the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.
"It is unthinkable that the protesters were deprived of their freedom arbitrarily and without any criminal offense being committed by them. It seems that freedom of speech and worship is not the property of those whom the police do not wish to visit."
Daniel Shimshilashvili
Attorney Daniel Shimshilashvili, who is representing the two activists, stated "It is unthinkable that the protesters were deprived of their freedom arbitrarily and without any criminal offense being committed by them. It seems that freedom of speech and worship is not the property of those whom the police do not wish to visit."
"This gives the impression that from time to time the police cross a new level of trampling on rights when it comes to those who do not practice violence, and with all due respect to the extent that they have committed some kind of offense, at most it is a matter of pasting an ad that the punishment on their side is a fine, certainly not an arrest."
"I expect Israel Police, with the upcoming Festival of Freedom (an alternate name for Passover), to allow the exercise of freedom of worship, expression and demonstration without discriminating between one or another factor in the nation and in the current case it is enough to illustrate the ongoing injustice towards an entire public, which unlike others, does not resort to violence and the message conveyed is that a righteous person receives evil, however, we will not settle and will fight the arbitrary decision with all the legal means at our disposal," added Shimshilashvili.
Additionally, the "Beyadenu" movement announced this week that it would be organizing a visit to the Temple Mount on Rosh Chodesh Nissan on Thursday, which also marks the first day of the month of Ramadan. The group will go up to the mountain at 7:15 a.m.
The Temple Mount for Passover and Ramadan
The Temple Mount will be open to Jewish visitors from 7-10:30 a.m. on Thursday. Jewish access to the site will be restricted during Ramadan, with visits only allowed from 7-10:30 a.m. from Sunday-Thursday without the usual additional slot during the afternoon. It is unclear as of yet if the Temple Mount will be closed completely to Jewish visitors during the end of Ramadan as is usually done during that period.
A march around the gates of the Temple Mount which is regularly held on Rosh Chodesh throughout the year by right-wing activists was canceled on Wednesday night due to the start of Ramadan, according to the organizers of the march.
Najeh Bakirat, the deputy director-general of the Waqf in Jerusalem, has called in recent days for large numbers of Palestinians to conduct Itikaf, a practice in which Muslims stay within a mosque for multiple days, at al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan.
"I'tikaaf is the only and best way to confront the occupation and its plans," said Bakirat, according to Palestinian media. "The occupation can only be deterred by continuing and steadfast in the lands and courtyards of al-Aqsa Mosque."
Bakirat warned that the situation is "more dangerous than ever before," stating that "things will be hot this year as a result of the daily attacks that escalated in al-Aqsa Mosque."
Palestinian officials have also expressed outrage at the installation of security cameras around the Temple Mount by police in recent weeks.
Bakirat claimed in an interview with the Palestinian news site Safa that the installation of security cameras is aimed at limiting the number of Muslim worshippers at the Temple Mount during Ramadan and at restricting the freedom of the worshippers at the site.
Ahmed al-Ruwaidi, an advisor on Jerusalem affairs in the Palestinian Authority, called the installation of security cameras "dangerous" and "an assault on the historical and legal status quo in the blessed Mosque and on the Jordanian guardianship," according to WAFA.
Ruwaidi claimed that the measures "are evidence that this extreme right-wing government is turning its back on all international agreements and obligations, and is continuing its program of escalation in the city of Jerusalem."
Israel Police preparing for Ramadan
Israel Police's Jerusalem District announced on Wednesday morning that it had completed its preparations for the month of Ramadan which is set to begin on Wednesday evening.
During a recent meeting held by police commanders to prepare for Ramadan, Jerusalem District commander Doron Turgeman stressed that "the conduct of maintaining freedom of worship alongside determined activity must be clearly communicated to the police officers."
"The whole topic of dialogue must be preserved both on the operational axis and on the community axis," added Turgeman. "There is no doubt that the issues in the background affect the threats, chief among them terrorism, but if there is someone who knows how to handle this challenge, as complex as it is, it is all of us: the police, the IDF, the Shin Bet and all the other bodies working with us."
The police stressed on Wednesday that the status quo on the Temple Mount and at the holy sites in Jerusalem will not be changed, warning against attempts by factors such as terrorist organizations to spread false information about the situation on the Temple Mount during Ramadan.
The police noted that the incitement and false reports can affect youth and spark violent behavior at holy sites and across the city.
"The fake news that is being spread is an attempt to engineer consciousness and create a false impression of the reality on the Temple Mount and the holy sites accompanied by graphics, parts of videos and slogans disconnected from reality," said police, stressing that they would continue to work to enable freedom of worship for everyone.
During Ramadan, the police will operate a "police awareness" headquarters which will include intelligence and investigative measures in order to conduct enhanced monitoring of incitement and violence online in coordination with forces on the ground.
A district investigative task force will also be established in order to handle the investigations of riots, incitement and similar issues.
In recent days, the police have conducted activities and discussions for residents of east Jerusalem in coordination with local authorities. Police held discussions with merchants in east Jerusalem and the Old City, as well as with young residents of the area and local leaders in order to prepare for Ramadan and encourage traffic safety and discourage the use of dangerous materials such as fireworks.
On Wednesday morning, police announced that they had arrested two residents of east Jerusalem on suspicion of publishing videos on TikTok encouraging violence, praising terrorists and issuing threats ahead of Ramadan.
At a meeting of the Knesset National Security Committee late last month, Israel Police chief Kobi Shabtai warned that the police are suffering from a severe manpower shortage which will affect its ability to respond to violence during the month of Ramadan this year.
Shabtai noted that the tensions of Ramadan come as the police are also dealing with securing large protests around the country, a rise in terrorist attacks, car accidents and an increase in murders around the country.
At the meeting, the commander of the Jerusalem District of Israel Police stressed that, despite the uptick in violence, the police have so far managed to keep the Temple Mount outside the circle of violence.
Both Turgeman and Shabtai pointed out that incitement is one of the main threats that the defense establishment needs to fight at the moment.