Detentions, Sefer Torah knocked to the ground at King David’s Tomb

Monday, June 20, 2016, 16:26 Six Jews were detained for interrogation on the morning of Monday, June 20 at the King David’s Tomb complex on Mt. Zion in Jerusalem as dozens of Jews attempted to prevent the entrance of Christians who intended to pray at the site. Jewish worshipers at the site report that policemen brutally beat them. In a video clip publicized by Honenu, a policeman is seen knocking a Jewish worshiper to the ground and then kicking him.
The detainees received legal counsel from Honenu Attorney Rehavia Piltz at the police station. Two detainees were brought to the Jerusalem Magistrate Court for a deliberation during which the police requested their conditional release. Honenu Attorney Ze’ev Wolf is representing them.
In the afternoon Piltz sent a letter to the Merchav David (Old City) Police Commander Chief Superintendent Doron Turgeman describing a serious incident of a Yassam (Special Forces) policeman shoving a Jew holding a Sefer Torah, which fell to the ground: “I would like to inform you of a serious incident that occurred at the [King David’s Tomb] complex.
“At the time of the incidents today in one of the halls, a Jew was holding a Sefer Torah for the purpose of prayer (on Mondays at morning services Jews read from a Sefer Torah). Yassam policemen pushed him and the Sefer Torah fell to the ground.
“For Torah-observant Jews such an incident is very traumatic, and they are accustomed to fasting over such an incident,” wrote Piltz and added that “A minor who mentioned that to the policemen was immediately detained. Moreover, the policemen treated the worshipers brutally, even though their protest was legitimate and legal. I demand that you handle this incident with seriousness.”
The rabbis responsible for the King David’s Tomb complex:
“We regret that the agreements finalized by the Israeli Police with representatives from the Ministry of Religions and Holy Places have been only partially implemented. We regret that only after the entrance of those who are not members of the covenant, who scorn the King David’s Tomb complex and the synagogue within, were we brought into the site to see that the agreement had been honored. We regret that the assurance to release all of the detainees other than one, who was accused of physically assaulting a policeman, was not honored.
“We turn to the police commanders and demand that they release all of the detainees out of respect for King David’s Tomb. ‘A man should not be judged for what he did at the time of his sorrow.’ Our souls have suffered more than enough on this day.”