Head of the far-right, ultra-nationalist Otzma Yehudit Party MK Itamar Ben-Gvir was barred from visiting the Temple Mount on Wednesday and Thursday by the police commissioner due to concerns his presence would lead to violence by Arab residents of the Old City of Jerusalem.
Ben-Gvir had planned to enter the Old City on Thursday through the Damascus Gate of the Muslim Quarter together with Likud MK May Golan and proceed towards the Temple Mount in a “Flag March” towards the Temple Mount.
Golan was also banned from visiting the Temple Mount along with Ben-Gvir.
Right-wing activists had demanded a reschedule of the canceled Flag March from Jerusalem Day last month to this Thursday, but the police refused to allow the march to go through the Damascus Gate.
The organizers in turn refused to have the route changed and the event is now scheduled for next Tuesday, although the route of the rescheduled march is unclear.
Ben-Gvir’s planned march to the Temple Mount through Damascus Gate on Thursday was designed to rebuke the police for banning the March of Flags from its normal route through the Muslim Quarter.
The Knesset Officer issued a statement on Wednesday afternoon stating that Ben-Gvir had been informed that the police commissioner Yaakov Shabtai had decided not to allow him to go up to the Temple Mount due to an evaluation by the Shin Bet and other intelligence officials that his presence would with a “high degree of certainty lead to an increase in tensions at the Temple Mount and arouse disturbances that will radiate out to wider circles which could endanger the security of the country.”
As a member of the Knesset, Ben-Gvir has parliamentary immunity and in certain circumstances the right to ignore police orders restricting his movements.
Ben-Gvir declined to say whether he would go ahead anyway with his march through Damascus Gate to the Western Wall on Thursday.
“This is the end of democracy,” the MK declared in a statement to the press following the police restrictions.
“Instead of dealing with the rioters the police harm the parliamentary immunity of an MK who requests to march with the flag of Israel in the capital Jerusalem, one hundred meters from the light rail,” said Ben-Gvir. “The police commissioner failed in dealing with the rioters in Lod, in the south and on the Temple Mount and now with an unprecedented decision he is revoking the freedom of movement of an MK,” continued Ben-Gvir, referencing the severe Arab Israeli riots which took place last month during the conflict with Hamas in Gaza.
Ben-Gvir called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to overturn Shabtai’s decision.