MK Glick at entrance to Supreme Court
MK Glick at entrance to Supreme CourtFLASH90

MK Yehuda Glick (Likud) submitted a petition to the Supreme Court Tuesday against the Prime Minister, the Internal Security Minister, the head of the Knesset Ethics Committee, the Police Chief Commissioner and the Attorney General. Glick is demanding that the prohibition against MKs visiting Temple Mount be rescinded immediately.

Glick is petitioning for a restraining order which would prevent the Prime Minister from giving the police "any operative orders relating to the Temple Mount in general and/or specific limitations on freedom of movement or religious rights."

Glick is also asking for an order which would direct the police "not to receive operative orders from the Prime Minister or Defense Minister which would prevent or disturb the entry of MKs to Temple Mount and not to discriminate against MKs as opposed to other citizens in the matter of freedom of movement and religious rites on Temple Mount."

The petition also demands that the court issue regulations to implement the law regarding the matter of MKs immunity and the involvement of the Prime Minister and Internal Security Minister in police work.

The petition, submitted by attorney Aviad Wisoly, seeks to "cancel the unique and unprecedented phenomenon in the annals of the State of Israel by which MKs have been excluded from Temple Mount for over a year whereas other citizens and tourists can enter the holy place freely."

The petition claims that "the Prime Minister gave operative orders to the Israeli police even though there was a clear conflict of interest with his political interests, and in contravention of the law. This resulted in the police submitting to political directives of the Prime Minister while falsely articulating its behavior as 'security considerations.'"

On Monday, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu decided to allow ministers and Knesset members to ascend the Temple Mount in three months time, after the month of Ramadan is over. The final decision will depend on the security situation at the time. Ramadan is a time when religious Muslim fervor and incitement are rampant in mosques.

A discussion on the matter took place at the prime minister's office. Attendees included Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, the head of the Shabak Israel Security Agency, the Jerusalem District Police Commander and the prime minister's special advisor Yitzhak Molcho.

The security establishment expressed grave concerns over the possibility that politicians would ascend to Temple Mount during the Pesach festival. However they also reported that there has been a significant rise of 40% in the number of Jews ascending to Temple Mount.

Netanyahu decided after the meeting not to renew the permits for ministers and Knesset members to visit Temple Mount until after the Shavuot festival and the Muslim Ramadan month which coincides with the Jewish month of Sivan. If the security situation permits it, Netanyahu will then renew the permits for Knesset members to visit the Temple Mount.