Arab rioters on the Temple Mount (archive)
Arab rioters on the Temple Mount (archive)Flash 90

An Israeli youth who ascended the Temple Mount Sunday has been arrested and is being held overnight. This, despite an admission by police that they intend to release him on Monday morning, the Honenu organization said.

The youth was arrested during the course of his visit to the Mount Sunday after Arabs began cursing him and others who were there with him. Police detained him and several of his companions, and while at the police station, a police search of his personal belongings yielded a knife about five centimeters (three inches) long. At that point police arrested him again and questioned him on his alleged intent to create public disturbance on the Mount.

Police informed his attorney, who works for the Honenu rights organization, that they intended to keep the youth in custody overnight even though he is not being charged with anything.

In response, his attorney said that “it is sad that police are going to such lengths to fight Jews who ascend the Temple Mount instead of arresting the Arabs who attacked them. It is even worse when police blame the innocent and use tactics that remind us of unsavory regimes.”

According to the youth the knife was for his personal use, to cut fruit – and was too small to be used in a way that could inflict damage on anyone or anything.