Minor NOT banned from Jerusalem during Pope’s visit

Thursday, May 22, 2014, 15:45 On the basis of intelligence information, the Israeli Police requested that a minor who attends a yeshiva in the Old City of Jerusalem be banned from entering Jerusalem during the days of the Pope’s visit. On the afternoon of Thursday, May 22 the Jerusalem Magistrate Court rejected the police request. During the court deliberation, the police representative admitted that the Commander of the Home Front Command, Major General Ayal Eisenberg, had refused to issue an administrative order against the youth in light of the insufficient intelligence information presented against the youth. Administrative orders were issued yesterday against several youths.
In his decision Judge Yaron Mientkavich ruled that there is a basis for the police concern that the minor might disrupt the peace during the Pope’s visit, however he also ruled that the court had not been referred to a source legally granting authority to issue the requested order.
The judge pointed out to the police that he is not authorized to issue administrative orders and ruled that there are ways to have the order they want issued, however filing the request as it was filed is not one of them. In the end, the judge ordered the completely unconditional release of the minor.
Attorney Itamar Ben-Gvir, who represented the minor on behalf of Honenu, criticized the police and asserted that, “The police must internalize the message from the court. During the past few days we have been witness to many individuals detained only because of the planned protest against the Pope. The time has come to teach the police a lesson in freedom of expression and democracy. The Jewish People are allowed to protest against the Pope.”
In a related case, on Wednesday, May 21 a youth was detained on suspicion of distributing fliers on Mt. Zion protesting the visit of the Pope. The Jerusalem Magistrate Court ruled that he will be banned from entering the Old City of Jerusalem for four days.