Arabs attacked, Jewish youth arrested, forced to violate Shabbat

Sunday, March 11, 15:49 Honenu reports that a youth arrested on Shabbat evening at the tomb of Shimon HaTzaddik in Jerusalem has been released. The youth was arrested during a demonstration held in protest of an attack by Arabs on worshipers earlier the same evening.
Last Shabbat evening as a group of worshipers approached the Shimon HaTzaddik tomb compound for evening prayers, Arabs jumped out and attacked them with clubs and iron bars.
The worshipers fled into the cave at the compound and refused to be evacuated for medical care in order not to violate Shabbat. Later the attackers returned and disturbances developed.
During the course of the incident a policeman arrived and arrested one of the youths, claiming that he had thrown rocks. The youth, M’, who was asked to enter the police car, asked to walk to the police station so as not to violate Shabbat. The policemen forced M’ into the police car and accused him of disturbing a policeman in the line of duty.
On Saturday night, after Shabbat, M’ was brought to the Jerusalem Magistrate Court for a deliberation, without being permitted to first contact Honenu in order to obtain legal advice. At the deliberation his remand was extended until today (Sunday).
At the deliberation today at the Jerusalem Magistrate Court the police demanded a restraining order banning M’ from entering the Shimon HaTzaddik neighborhood for three months and a 1,000 NIS bond. Honenu attorney Naftali Wertzberger, who represented M’, pleaded during the deliberation that there is no evidence that he threw rocks being as there is no claim of injury to person or property as a result of the rock throwing. The accusation relies completely on the testimony of the policeman, which is contrary to the statement by the youth, who denies the accusation.
Judge Alexander Ron partially accepted the plea and ordered that M’ be released on bail on condition of a restraining order banning him from entering the Shimon HaTzaddik neighborhood for three weeks.