Southern Kotel area
Southern Kotel areaKobi Finkler

Last Sunday, a Jerusalem tour guide and another person arrived at the Southern Wall excavations. The two toured the site, viewing antiquities and archaeological finds there.

After a short time, to their surprise, police arrived and detained the two.

"The guide and the other person showed the policemen that the gate was open, and explained that the guard at the entrance allowed them to enter, but the policemen were determined and took the two to the police station," said attorney Rehavia Pilz.

For many hours, the two men were detained at the "David" police station and were interrogated on suspicion of trespassing. At the station, the tour guide's personal weapon was confiscated.

At the station, attorney Rehavia Pilz gave the couple legal advice, and after the interrogation the two were released and the guide's weapon was returned.

"I hope that within a short time the case will be closed, without criminal records and without guilt," said attorney Piltz of the Honenu legal aid organization. "This is a very heavy punishment for a tour guide, to burn so many hours at the police station. They were detained and a criminal case was opened against them only because of the police obsession with the Temple Mount, which causes innocent civilians to get into trouble for no fault of their own."