https://www.inn.co.il/news/454238
After their hearing was postponed three months ago, a hearing is being held today regarding three young people who said the "Shema Yisrael" statement of faith on the Temple Mount.
The Jerusalem Magistrate's Court is holding a hearing today (Sunday) in the case of three young men against whom an indictment was filed after they said "Shema Yisrael" on the Temple Mount.
The hearing was scheduled to take place about three months ago, but was postponed at the last minute after Adv. Yitzhak Bam, who represents the three on behalf of the Public Defender's Office, asked to postpone the hearing due to the birth of his son.
According to the indictment, while the three were on the Temple Mount on the eve of Yom Kippur about two years ago, they prostrated themselves one by one and chanted "Shema Yisrael.”
The indictment attributes to them in this act the commission of offenses of "conduct that may disturb the public peace" and "interference with a police officer in the performance of his duties”.
Ariel Ben-David, the father of one of the accused young men, came to demonstrate in front of the court on the day the hearing was scheduled to take place three months ago, and as stated at the last minute was postponed. He told Channel 7: "Our son, a combat soldier, had to arrive from the border with from Lebanon, to be present at the trial, simply because he said 'Shema Yisrael' on the Temple Mount.”
He added, "He says Shema Yisrael every day, but one time he said it while on the Temple Mount so we he is on trial because of this. In the State of Israel, even though the Temple Mount is in our hands, Shema Yisrael is forbidden to say.”
"We hope the judge will take care of this properly and the police will sober up, and the prosecution will yield on this issue," he said. "We expect the public to make a statement and say: there must be no such precedent of a trial of soldiers who say Shema Yisrael on the Temple Mount. G-d forbid this should be seen as a crime.”
Advocate Moshe Polsky of the Honenu organization representing the three told Channel 7: "It is unbelievable that in the State of Israel, in the year 2020, after 70 years of independence, an indictment will be filed against boys whose whole sin was to recite the Shema on the Temple Mount.”
"We Jews have been waiting for years to return to our land," he added. "Actions like this taken in the name of our government greatly pain us. How could it be that the hand of the lawyer didn't tremble when signed the indictment to determine that saying 'Shema Yisrael' anywhere in the State of Israel, is a criminal offense?”
Photo shows 'the Temple Mount 3' awaiting trial at the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court.
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