Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court last week ordered the Islamic Waqf agency, which represents the government of Jordan, to pay about $15,000 to attorney Itama Ben Gvir, Srugim reported Saturday night.
Ben Gvir had sued the Waqf and Israel police following his visit last October to the Temple Mount on an intermediary day of the Sukkot holiday – where he was being followed by Waqf agents, who follow every Jewish-looking person on the Temple Mount, to make sure they don’t commit the forbidden act of prayer to God. Whe Arabs in the compound yelled at Ben Gvir “Allahu Akbar,” Ben Gvir cried back “Am Israel Chai” (the nation of Israel lives).
But while no one harassed those Arab faithful, a police officer immediately leaped at Ben Gvir and detained him for two days, and the next day Police demanded that he be removed from the Temple Mount. A Magistrate’s Court judge rejected the police request, ruling that crying “Am Israel Chai” is not sufficient grounds for removal.
A few days later, Ben Gvir filed suit against the Waqf and Israel Police, charging that the Waqf agents had broken the Privacy Protection law, violating Ben Gvir’s right to privacy when they followed him, while police carried out a false imprisonment against him.
While police has responded to the charge and the court scheduled a hearing of the case, the Waqf never bothered to respond, and Ben Gvir demanded a ruling in their absence. The state prosecutor asked the court to delay its ruling to allow the prosecution a discussion of the matter, but on Thursday, bowing to social pressure, the prosecution removed its objection.
Therefore, on Thursday, Jerusalem Magistrate Court Judge Mordechai Bornstein ruled against the Waqf, ordering the agency to pay Gvir compensation as well as court costs to the tune of $15,000.
Ben Gvir vowed that, should the Waqf fail to pay up, he intends to show up in the agency’s offices with state execution enforcers and carry out the court’s sentence.
